


I'll Try to Help You

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Bullying, Fluff, Homophobic John, M/M, Slow Dancing, Speech Disorders, Violence, Wedding, and ends quickly, cheesy vows may or may not be included, dont worrying its in later chapters, i really like combining songs and fics, more like teen abuse, more song lyrics, song lyrics at one point, warnings for eventual child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-01-15 12:31:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 24,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1304956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Highschool AU. In which Castiel is the new kid and Dean is the loner with the stutter. Eventual Dean/Cas and some Sabriel in upcoming chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work on AO3! I posted this story on FF.net a long time ago but I also decided to upload it here for those who prefer this site. I hope you enjoy this story! Comment if you can!

John Winchester is not the most patient man, or father, in the world...as anyone who's had the slight displeasure of knowing. While he was respected and even liked among people who lived in the small town of Lawrence, Kansas. Yet everyone felt rather bad for his oldest son Dean, because he had to deal with the easily crossed temper of his father.

Dean was born with a stutter, a rather severe one if you're wondering. At first his parents wistfully albeit a bit worryingly so, that eventually Dean would grow out of it. But he never did, and probably never will, much to his father's dismay. His mother, Mary Winchester, whom everyone loved because she was caring, quickly accepted her son's "quirk" or as she preferred to say "something that made him more unique than everyone else".

John, on the other hand, called it a "disability", and more often than not, would tell Dean to hurry the hell up and finish whatever he was saying or just keep his mouth shut. John would then receive silence and hard, disapproving glares from both Mary and Sam, Dean's younger brother.

Sam and Mary are far more patient with Dean whenever he talked. They waited for Dean to finish whatever he was saying, even if he interrupted them. They never interrupted him either, knowing that he'd have to repeat what he had said and John's temper would flare. They both saw and love how Dean lit up whenever he talked, putting his heart into it and looking like the happiest guy in the world.

And being in high school isn't helpful either, and while over the years Dean did acquire some friends, now they all left and went to the richer, better high school two towns away. This, in a way, made Dean more shy and reserved. Not many people want to be Dean's friend, they thought he was too quiet and weird. And sadly, in the school where he goes to, everyone avoids him, as if his stutter is contagious. Sam wouldn't be in high school till next year, and until then Dean wouldn't have anyone to hang out with or talk to.

So while Dean is in the way back of Ms. Summers', the English teacher's, classroom. Dean was pointedly trying to be unseen and hopefully unnoticed. But Ms. Summers is one of those teachers that gets annoyed when no one answers their question, thus looking around the room to find someone who is quiet, because in her eyes, not saying anything means you're not paying attention. And so, after asking the class what a prose is, and then being answered with dead silence, her eyes gazed around the room until the fixed themselves upon Dean, who was trying unsuccessfully to not draw attention to himself by not looking at her.

"Ah! Dean, would you like to tell me what you think a 'prose' is?" Every person in their seats turned their bodies to look at him. Feeling a surge of anxiety creep up on him along with an annoyingly hot blush on his face, he glanced around the room and inhaled a shaky breath.

"I-I d-donnn't know-ow." He quickly looked down at his hands folded on the desk as he heard quiet yet not really quiet laughter surround him.

"Alright then." Ms. Summers looked around the room again until she called on another student who answered the question correctly. Then there was a knock at the door, making everyone except Dean, who was still recovering from his embarrassment, stare at the door until it opened, revealing a someone who Dean had never seen before. Ms. Summers grinned brightly and walked briskly to stand next to the new person.

"Class, this is our newest student. Please try to make him feel welcome. What is your name, dear?"

Dean finally looked up and saw the new kid, he was tall, thin, with short black hair that seemed to look like he just got out of bed, electric blue eyes, and was he wearing a  _tie_? He was, and it was backwards, he was also wearing a long tan trench coat that seemed a bit odd to wear given the fact that it's late January. Undoubtedly, Dean thought this new kid was pretty hot. But he quickly diminished the thought, as he knew no one ever talked to him...so why bother with a crush if there's zero chance of it ever actually happening?

"My name is Castiel Novak," the new kid said in a surprisingly gravelly yet appealing voice. Ms. Summers smiled wider and told Castiel that he could sit wherever he wanted. He nodded and sat down in the seat to the left of Dean. Dean felt suspicious at first, who would want to sit next to him? But then he realized that this kid was new and therefore had not learned from anyone that you do not hangout with or go near Dean Winchester.

He glanced at Castiel, who was staring at him with those shockingly blue eyes. Dean gave him a confused look, to which he was returned a small smile that made Dean feel a little weird. Castiel leaned over so that he was closer to Dean and whispered in his ear, "You have really nice eyes."

Interesting first impression...so far.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to those of you who added kudos! It means alot. This story is actually completely done, so I'll post the chapters periodically, or at most twice a day instead. Depends on how busy I am.

To be honest, Dean was flattered, albeit a bit creeped out. A guy who just entered the classroom about five minutes ago, if anything, just complimented on his  _eyes?_  Dean didn't know what to say, as no one has ever said things like that to him before. Why would they?

But Dean didn't want to dwell on it, he didn't like as he would call it "the Hallmark crap". So he just looked at Castiel; what kind of name was that? And Dean flashed him a smile that he knew leaked charm, hoping this would convey that he appreciated the compliment without having to say it. He folded his hands on his desk and tried to pay attention to Ms. Summers, but in the corner of his eye he noticed Castiel was staring at him unblinkingly. Okay...

Class ended and Dean started to put his things in his locker when he was startled by Castiel being right next to him. How had he done that without making any noise? Dean almost dropped his book but thankfully he kept a tight grip on them before shoving them into his locker. He grabbed his lunch bag and closed his locker, noticing again that Castiel was staring at him.

"Hello, Dean." How did this kid know his name already?

"H-how do...y-you kn-knoww my nammme?" Dean questioned, ever so slightly annoyed that he didn't know why Castiel knew his name without Dean telling him it.

"The name 'Dean' is on your lunch bag, so I used deductive reasoning to assume it's yours. Since you're alone and why would you carry someone else's lunch? You already know my name, so I'll skip the traditional form of greeting new people."

 _He sure has a funny way of talking,_ Dean thought. Dean nodded and turned to head to the cafeteria. He didn't have to look behind to know that Castiel was following right behind him. But surprisingly, he didn't mind. That's a first. He was still a little suspicious that Castiel seemed to have already taken a liking to him and now was being nice to him.

As Dean sat down at one of the empty lunch tables and opened his lunch bag, he smiled gladly at what he saw inside. His mom had packed him some pie, Dean's favorite food. Along with a cheeseburger, making everything better in his opinion. Castiel sat next to Dean and started staring at him again. Aside from that, Dean was actually glad he wasn't sitting alone for once. They sat in an unexpectedly companionable silence.

About halfway through lunch period Dean realized that Cas wasn't eating. Since when did he start calling him Cas? Whatever.

Breaking the silence between the two of them, Dean spoke first, "H-hey-ey, how c-c-come y-you're...not e-eat-ting?" Usually, Dean would try to never talk to anyone, whether or not they were friends for fear of being made fun of. But right now he felt a bit more confident because so far Cas acted as if there was nothing weird about Dean at all. It actually felt wonderful.

"I've always been home-schooled, until now of course. So I'm not used to eating school food, and by the looks of it...I don't want to."

Dean couldn't help but chuckle at that, as it was a pretty good reason. But he felt bad that he was eating and his friend (if that's what you called...whatever their relationship is) was not eating. So he pulled out the burger his mom made out of his bag and put it in front of Cas. Dean went back to eating his pie as if nothing happened.

Cas blinked at him, to which Dean noted that this was the first time he had seen him blink today. "Thank you." Dean shrugged his shoulders and as he watched Cas eat in the corner of his eyes, he watched how Cas' jaw moved but quickly stopped himself before he looked creepy.

After lunch period ended, they both went to their own different classes, Cas in Philosophy and Dean in Chemistry. Dean hated Chemistry, mostly because his lab partner was Alastair, the biggest douchebag you could ever have the misfortune of meeting. Not only did he bully Dean for his stutter, but he also picked on Sam whenever he got the chance.

So Dean sat the large wooden table and waited for class to start, because the sooner it began the sooner it ended. The bell rang and students poured in the classroom. Among the sounds of chatter and people dropping their books onto the tables, there was also the dreadful sound of Alastair's loud boots thundering towards Dean.

Dean's vision filled with the very punchable face of Alastair, with those blue yet borderline white eyes that creeped the hell out of Dean. Dean glared with all the hatred he could muster until Alastair finally got his face away from Dean's.

"Hey, Dean. Or is it D-D-Dean?" Dean snarled at Alastair's weak insult and gave him the middle finger as discreetly as he could without being caught. Alastair laughed at him. Fury washed over Dean and he clenched his jaw.

"So how's that adorable little brother of yours? Sam, right?"

If it was possible, that made Dean more furious. He was protective over Sam to put it lightly.

"Ffffuck o-off, Alas-tair." Alastair narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to say something before the substitute for Mr. Adler told him to be quiet. Alastair sulked and Dean smirked in triumph.

Maybe this class wouldn't be so bad for once.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos! I'm glad you're loving this story!

After the long and agonizing Chemistry class, which consisted of Alastair telling the substitute that Dean knew the answer to a question that was asked, in an attempt to get back at the Dean for the sub telling him to be quiet: meaning that he had to talk aloud whether or not he really did know the answer. Being stared at by everyone created nervousness and Dean's breath to quicken, making his stutter worse. This made people laugh at him even more, casually reminding him that people really did not like him here. Except Cas of course, but he wasn't here.

Hanging his head in slight shame, Dean walked quickly to his locker, put his chemistry books away and grabbed his math textbook. Then after closing his locker with more force than necessary to vent the frustration from Chemistry class., he leaned up against the wall next to his locker to wait for Cas to come out of Philosophy. Their next class was Math.  _What a bundle of fun,_  Dean thought bitterly.

After a few minutes of waiting, and several amused looks from people who passed through the hallway that Dean recognized from Chemistry, Cas finally came, in that weird no-noise-whatsoever way he had. Cas grabbed his textbook too (his locker was next to Dean's) and they headed to Ms. Milton's classroom.

The rows of desks that sit in the room stood ominously in front of Ms. Milton's large birch desk, which was covered in neat piles of papers and facing her were pictures of her family. Ms. Milton is rather pretty: medium height, bright large eyes, a pearly white smile, and long red hair that seems to move entirely on its own. Ms. Milton is usually nice, sometimes a bitch, and it's easy to pass her class as long as you pass in your work.

Dean and Cas sat together in the far right corner of the room, away from everyone else. Cas didn't want to seem to talk to anyone else or be with anyone besides Dean. And usually when you're the new kid, people usually accept you into their group until they decide whether or not you're worth it. Dean couldn't seem to figure out why, as no one ever seemed nor expressed any interest to be with him. It made Dean feel rather special in a way, Cas hasn't made fun of him at all, but he then reminded himself that's it's his first day here. That made Dean wary, but it felt good to have a friend.

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. Students streamed in and settled in their seats with little enthusiasm. It is math class after all. Ms. Milton appeared out of nowhere it seemed and stood in front of the whiteboard, waiting for everyone's attention. After everyone looked at her, she turned around and started to write. Dean looked at Cas who gave him a small smile. He returned it and turned his head to see what Ms. Milton was writing. She had started to write complicated algebraic expressions on the board for them to solve.

Dean internally groaned, out of anything that was to be hated in the world of math, he hated algebra that most. It was hard for him to figure out with all the numbers, symbols, and whatnot. It also didn't help that Ms. Milton made them tell aloud what they did to get their answer.

Ms. Milton turned from the board to face her students and flashed a bright grin, "Alright class, I want you to grab a piece of blank paper and solve these expressions. Remember to show your work." There was about twelve problems written on the board, each one more hard then the previous one. Everyone grabbed a sheet of paper from their books or binders and started to solve the expressions. Each student had their own unique look of frustration, confusion, or excitement.

Dean, on the other hand, stared blankly at the expressions that he had copied on his paper, his mind also blank. He racked his brain, trying to figure out what to do first. He sighed, and almost gave up after a few minutes of struggling to think.  _What the fucking shit is this?,_ he thought. Dean felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned to see who it was.

Cas was already finished, was this kid a genius or something? He smiled politely, "Do you want any help? I'd be more than happy to." Dean thought about it for a moment, then decided that his math grade was far more important than his pride.

"S-su-surrre." Cas grinned and scooted his seat quietly closer to Dean's. Dean felt his stomach form into knots when he felt the heat from Cas' body radiate. He gulped and smiled at Cas, hoping that his nervousness did not show.

"Okay, so you know what the order of operations is?" Cas gazed up at Dean and waited for him to answer. Dean stared into Cas' impossibly blue eyes before he realized Cas was expecting an answer. Dean inhaled a deep breath to calm his nerves before he started to talk, "Y-Yeah." He glanced up at Cas, relieved that his lips formed a small smile.

"Good. Do you solve what's in the parentheses first or division problems first?"

"P-Par-Parentheses fir-st."

"Right. Now do that."

 _Math class became decidedly better,_  Dean thought.

Class ended then after a few hours, school ended finally. Dean said goodbye to Cas and headed to the school parking lot where Baby was. Shining the bright winter sun, the new shiny black paint on the Impala gleamed like stars. Dean's pride and joy.

Dean pulled up to the front of the middle school to pick Sam up. The passenger's door opened and Sam clambered inside.

"H-Hey, Sam-mmy." Sam is undoubtedly Dean's favorite person. Tall (and still growing), with a mop of brown hair, he was a lovable dork with a passion for books that Dean doesn't understand at all. And also has a weird ability to find Wi-fi anywhere. Sam also never became impatient with Dean when he talked, like their mother and unlike their father.

"Hey, Dean." And with that, they drove home.


	4. Chapter 4

The Winchester's house was nestled in the far north edge of town. Two storeys tall, a gray slanted roof, walls painted a bright white, and many spacious windows all over to complete the simple and quaint look of the house. There was also a spacious backyard with an ancient weeping willow tree that sits in the middle of the yard. Everything was covered in a light dusting of snow, making the frost covered grass almost crunch beneath their feet.

Dean opened the front door and threw his bag onto the nearest empty chair. Sam did the same but instead of throwing it, he gently set it down. This is one of the differences between the two of them. They both strode into the kitchen, seeing Mary leaning up against the counter with a cup of coffee, still steaming, in her hand. She saw them and smiled lovingly at them, "How was school?"

Both of them glanced at each other, wondering which one will go first. After a period of silence, Sam did, "It was alright. I have a history test tomorrow so I'm going to go study." He turned around to grab his bag and strode over to Mary, kissing her on the cheek before pounding up the stairs. It wasn't until they heard the sound of Sam's door shutting that Dean and Mary looked at each other.

"And what about you?" She smiled at him, trying to coax him into saying something. But Dean just shrugged, not really wanting to talk at all. Even though he knows that his mom likes it when he talks. Hell, she even said so herself; but he still didn't like talking in general.

Her smile turned slightly sad, "Come on, there has to be something! Test? New student?" Since Dean knew he wouldn't be able to not utter a word forever, he inhaled a breath and braced himself.

"W-well-ell, u-ummmm, I-I have a-a c-chemis-try test on F-Fri-day." He didn't really, Dean just didn't want to tell his mother about Cas. It made him feel shameful that Mary would probably be ecstatic about her oldest son finally having a friend. How pathetic is that? Mary knew all too well about how Dean was and still is bullied in school. She of course, like a good parent, told the principal of Lawrence High that people were making Dean's life a nightmare, but school are schools and they did nothing about it.

John, on the other hand, being the fantastic person he is...thought that kids were just being kids. He also told Dean that he should just suck it up and eventually they'll leave him alone. This lead to a mildly heated discussion between the two, resulting Dean to storm off into his room and John going to the bar. Mary was at work that day and Sam was at his friend Kevin's house, so she wasn't pleased when she got home to find her husband gone and her son in his room.

"Okay. Make sure you study, love you." She walked off after giving Dean a kiss on the cheek and went to do some laundry.

Dean went upstairs to his room and sat on his bed after locking his door. Being bored, he pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and started to write. Dean had a soft spot for stories. He liked the idea of creating anything you wanted and it's entirely up to you. No one knew obviously that he did this, it was more of a secret hobby.

After writing for an hour or so, Dean laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He thought about how  _different_ today was. He was internally glad that he now has someone to finally talk to at school. Cas seemed pretty nice so far, albeit a bit weird. But isn't everyone? Dean also appreciated the fact that Cas listened to him, and didn't ignore him because he couldn't form words properly.

Dean also thought that Cas was pretty attractive, with his messed up black hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Dean pretty much always knew that he found both girls and guys attractive. Admittedly guys the most, so thinking a guy (and on top of that, someone he just met) was hot didn't surprise him.

His dad though didn't take it too lightly though when Dean told his parents that he liked girls and guys. Mary was fine with it (she actually knew already), but John didn't like the fact that his son could be seen with a male just as easily as he could be seen with a female. So John didn't talk to him for a while...and after some convincing from Mary, he grudgingly accepted it.

Sam wasn't amazed either. Being as close to his brother as he is, he knew pretty well. But in the back of his mind, he worried that his older brother would probably be picked on the fact that he was bisexual as well as having a stutter. The people who go to Lawrence High aren't the most accepting of students, as you probably know by now. But then he knows that Dean is strong and in a year, Sam will be there too to make sure that no one hurts him.

In fact, Sam was sort of afraid that he'd be in the same situation too if people found out that he was bi as well. He had told Dean about a few months ago, after being scared to death that their dad would be furious with him as he was with Dean. But after some brotherly and affectionate words, Sam became more comfortable about his sexuality and knew that he had no control over it.

Dean's head feels lighter and he feels happier at the fact that know that he has a friend and someone other than family to talk to, that school won't be as much of a hellhole as it used to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments, kudos, and even bookmarks! Warnings for homophobic/offensive language in this chapter!

Over the past few weeks of school, Dean and Castiel grew closer. They always grouped together for assignments in class and usually were the first ones done; mostly because Cas seemed to know everything. They each learned a bit about each other: Cas has three older brothers, Michael, Lucifer, and Gabriel.

They're all older than him and in college except Gabriel, who decided to take a year off and just do whatever he wanted. But the four brothers got along well despite the age differences. Cas also has a large collection of books that he said Dean could borrow, and to Dean's surprise, knows  _nothing_ about movies, shows, or anything pop culture related.

On their way to Ms. Summer's class that morning, Dean was completely amazed that Cas had told him that he had never seen  _Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring._ Dean would admit he had a fondness for Tolkien, as it was one of the biggest fantasy franchises out there. And Dean loved all the different races, places, and characters that made up Middle-Earth.

"H-how has any-anyone n-never ssseen i-it?" It was one of Dean's favorite movies, it brought a huge bought of nostalgia whenever he watched it. The beginning of an epic quest to destroy evil. With music that you would never forget and people you'd love to meet.

Cas shrugged, "My brother Michael doesn't really like...things of that nature, so I've never been allowed to watch it." That took Dean aback.

Nervousness crept over Dean as he mustered up the courage to say,"Oh. Mmmaybe y-y-you could wa-watch it a-at m-my hou-se ssssomet-time." Dean had never invited someone over before, but Castiel was different of course. The only exception.

Cas looked up at him while he reached for the handle of Ms. Summer's door and smiled, "I'd like that. Thank you, Dean." Breathing an internal sigh of relief, Dean smirked and closed the classroom door behind him. The two boys took their seats, next to each other obviously.

English class went smoothly, Dean wasn't called this time to answer a question much to his relief. So as they put their books into their lockers and Dean grabbed his lunch; he asked his mother that morning to pack extra food cause he was really hungry. A pack of lies that was, but he didn't want to tell Mary about Cas because he didn't want her to think he was Dean's boyfriend.

About halfway through their lunch, Dean felt a something jabbing his shoulder. He scowled and turned around to see who it was. It was Alastair and his friend Azazel. Azazel was Alastair's followers at school, and he had creepy brown-borderline yellow eyes that followed you wherever you went.

"Oh look, it's Queer 1 and Queer 2. Are you two sharing lunch? How cute." Azazel laughed at Alastair's weak yet mildly effective bullying.

"Fuck o-off." They both laughed and turned their attention to Cas, who was squinting at them with irritation.

"Nice tie, but you do know this isn't a preppy gay school..right?" Cas didn't say anything, except stalk closer to the two of them. Dean didn't know what to do, should he just tell them to go away, resort to violence, or just let them keep going?

Alastair put his face in front of Cas', and gave a smile but not a good one, "Not going to say anything?" Alastair shoved Castiel away from him, Cas stumbled back a few feet but otherwise didn't fall. He frowned, "Why don't you just leave? Don't you have something better to do with your time?" Dean stood up from his seat, ready to fight if needed. He was a Winchester after all.

That only made Azazel and Alastair agitated, since they usually don't get talked back to. Alastair raised his fist and was about to punch Castiel, but Dean struck Alastair first, feeling slightly satisfied as fist contacted the bridge of his friend's attacker's nose. Alastair clutched his nose, which was bleeding in little red streams. Tension slowly built up in the air surrounding the four, waiting for someone to make their move.

Dean had dealt with bullies other than Alastair and Azazel before. So really, he shouldn't have been afraid to hit. But he also didn't want Cas to think that he was a violent asshole who used his fists to get his way. Dean knew he was anything but that. The oldest Winchester son may not have the highest self-esteem out there, but he knew deep down that he wasn't as much as a bad person as he liked to believe.

Alastair looked ready to kill both of them, but Azazel decided to be smart for once and told him that they should go. They both left, leaving some people staring at Dean and Cas before shrugging and returning to their friends and food. The two teens looked at each other and laughed at bit at the whole situation that just occurred. "S-ssorry for t-th-at. I-I was afraid tha-hat you'd g-get hur-urt." Did he just seriously say that?  _This isn't some soap opera, you of all people don't say crap like that,_ Dean scolded to himself.

Cas gave a shy smile, "I can take care of myself, Dean. My brother Lucifer taught me some things for if and when I'm ever on my own. But I appreciate it." Lucifer is scarier, yet less serious about things than Michael. He taught Cas a couple of things before he left for school in case "Someone wants to try to get something from you, little brother."

Dean smirked, a bit impressed with what Castiel just said.  _This is probably the most interesting lunch I've ever had,_ Dean thought.

"So whe-en d-do you w-w-want t-to commme over?" Dean asked, might as well know what day.

"I'm free anytime."

"U-ummmm...h-how ab-about tomor-row?" Cas nodded and Dean had never felt more excited about watching a movie with someone. He'd only watched movies with Sam, so hanging out with someone different seemed fun. Dean smiled to himself and waited with Cas for lunch to be over, talking about whether or not to watch the extended edition or not.


	6. Chapter 6

All day Dean had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach, today was the day that Cas would come over to watch  _Fellowship of the Ring._  Dean had a bit of a nerdy side to him admittedly. He always called Sam the nerd but in reality it wasn't. So when Dean and Sam came home after school, Dean thought it might be nice to tell his mother that someone's coming over before it became seemed more last-minute. It turned out Castiel lived about five minutes away, so he told Dean that he didn't need to be given a ride.

Dean walked up to Mary and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled and asked with interest, "How was school?"  _Might as well tell her,_ Dean thought.

"Okay...h-hey Mom-m?" Mary turned to face her son and quirked up an eyebrow to show that she was listening.

"A friend-end of m-mine is c-com-ming over. H-his...n-name is-s C-C-Cas." Mary froze, then an ever brighter and bigger smile etched itself on her face. Inside, she was absolutely ecstatic that her older son had a friend now. When Dean was younger and starting school, she tried to get him to make friends at school...but it never really worked out. Sometimes he made friends, but they all moved away to go to other schools..and it broke Mary's heart.

"Okay! What are you two going to do?" At first Mary was a little bit angry that someone was coming over last-minute, but decided not to voice that.

Dean breathed an internal sigh of relief that his mom wasn't mad, sure she seemed surprised at first, but whatever.

"We're g-g-going to-o watch L-Lord of-f the R-Ringsss." Dean looked down at the floor, a bit anxious to hear what Mary would say. She's his mom after all, and he loves her. So her opinion matters.

"Oh! Okay, a movie is a good choice. I promise to leave you two alone this time as long as I get to meet him sometime. So what is this 'Cas' like? Is he nice? Smart?" Mary was starting to grow an interest in her son's newest friend. She was perfectly okay if they were together, she'd find out eventually.

Dean felt a wave of heat rush over him, along with a blush creeping along his face. How was he supposed to describe his awesome  _and only_ friend without sounding like he was in love with him?  _Cause you're not, and you're smart enough...you can figure it out,_ Dean reminded himself. As much as he really liked Cas, he knew that he probably didn't even have a chance. Hell, he didn't even know Cas even liked guys.

"W-Well, he's-s pr-pretty smar-smart...n-nice t-t-too, c-c-cool-l, a-and...I do-don't know-know wh-what else." Dean felt his face get warmer and warmer. While Mary smirked slightly at how flustered her son was getting over telling what Castiel was like.

"Okay, before you burst into flames I want you to tell me what he looks like." As much as she felt slightly bad for Dean getting kinda nervous already, she at least wanted to hear how Dean would describe his looks.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, thanking God that Sam was upstairs in his room and not hearing any of this. He'd never let Dean hear the end of it.

"H-he has-s sho-short black h-hair, r-really blue eyes-s, a-and he w-w-wears t-this t-tan trench-ch c-co-coat all t-th-the time."  _Good thing you kept it simple yet specific enough,_ Dean thought.

"He sounds cute. One last question, what time is he coming over?"

Finally looking up from the floor, Dean glanced at the clock, 3:30. Cas and him agreed on 4:00. A rush of panic surged over him, "I-In half-f an hour." Mary nodded and gave Dean a light kiss on the forehead before walking through the kitchen and up the stairs to leave her son be.

After hearing the sound of his mom's bedroom door close, Dean breathed out a shaky breath and sat on the couch to past the time waiting.

Several minutes later, someone knocked on the door. Dean rose off the couch and strode over to the door. Hoping that he looked alright, he opened the door and gave a charismatic smile.

"Hello, Dean." Cas smiled at him and entered the house. He looked around, almost never blinking,  _Why does he almost never blink?_ Dean wondered.

"Your house is very nice." Dean noticed how Cas' face brightened whenever he smiled, and also that it looked genuine. He liked it, and wanted to see it again.

"T-Thanks. I-I made p-p-pop-popcorn and th-there's d-drinks too if-f you're hun-hungry." Cas nodded, with a small smile on his face. Already slightly frustrated with his stuttering, Dean lead Castiel to the couch and put the DVD into the player to get the movie started.

They sat next to each other in companionable silence, Dean occasionally explaining parts of the movies that Castiel didn't understand, like when Gandalf mentioned the dragon Smaug from  _The Hobbit,_ why the One Ring was so important, or whenever hobbits, elves, or dwarves were mentioned.

To be honest, Dean thought it was adorable. He also enjoyed sharing something that he really liked and was passionate about with Cas. It felt good and like a connection was being formed.

"So, the reason why they have to go to...Mordor is because the ring can only be destroyed wherever it was made?" Dean was impressed that Cas remembered that much, and he smiled to himself as he took a sip of his drink.

"Y-Yeah. Exactly." All of a sudden someone was coming down the stairs, and Dean immediately recognized it as Sam.  _Damnit._

Sam stepped into the living room and paused for a moment, taking in the scene of his older brother an inch away from someone Sam had never seen before. Dean looked up at Sam and frowned, wishing that he and Cas were alone.

Cas spoke first, much to the surprise of the two brothers, "Hello, Sam. Dean told me a lot about you." Sam gave Dean a shit-eating grin and smiled warmly at Castiel, "Hi...what's your name? Dean hasn't told me anything about you though, sorry."

"My name is Castiel." Sam nodded and Dean internally groaned and wished Sam were gone already. As much as Dean loves his little brother, he knew that Sam would never let him live this down.

"Nice to meet you. Dean, I'm going to Kevin's house." Dean smirked, Sam had been going over to Kevin's house for about a month so far. Hell, if Dean knew better, he'd think Sam was dating the kid. But Dean knew that Kevin was straight and also had a girlfriend of his own.

"A-Alright. B-Bye Sam-Sammy." Dean knew how much Sam didn't like the nickname "Sammy" or at least, pretended not to like it.

"Bye, Dean. And bye Cas." Sam smiled at the both of them before leaving the room and out the front door.

"Sh-Shall we f-finish th-the m-movie?" Cas glanced at him and nodded with the faintest of smiles on his face. He leaned over and as if time seemed to stop, Dean was given a light, chaste kiss on the cheek.

Dean's mind went blank.


	7. Chapter 7

Time seemed to literally stop, and Dean felt light-headed, but also warm and almost like he was covered in sparks of fire and electricity, making his hair stand up on end and his skin prickle. He stared at Castiel after pausing the movie, leaving an unsettling silence in the room. Cas seemed to look almost ashamed of what he did, looking at the floor, as if waiting for Dean to kick him out of the house and never speak to him ever again.

Dean didn't know what to do. Should he say something? Kiss him back? The latter opinion seemed the best, as Dean realized all of a sudden how much he really liked Castiel. As cliché as that sounds. He's smart as hell, nice (the only one at school who talks to Dean and actually cares about him), patient, and absolutely stunning and different. With his short, messy black hair, electric blue eyes that are impossible not to look at least once or twice a day, and also how his personality seemed to form how he looked in Dean's eyes. If that makes any sense.

 _Come on, don't be a chicken, just kiss him,_ Dean scolded to himself. He shifted his body on the couch so that he was facing Cas. He tapped him on the shoulder, not wanting to say anything and ruin the moment by tripping over his words. Castiel glanced up at Dean and he seemed almost more or less happier that Dean hadn't told him off.

Before Dean could do anything, Cas spoke first, "Dean, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that...I just...I got caught up in the moment and I-," but Dean shut him up by holding Cas' head in his hands and finally doing what he's wanted to do for a while.

Smelling like old books, the cotton of his trench coat, and something entirely indescribable yet brilliant, Dean didn't want to let go of Castiel. At first Castiel stiffened when Dean pulled him forward and locked his mouth with Cas', but eventually relaxed. Dean pressed his fingertips to Castiel's jaw and gently stroked the slight stubble that was already starting to appear there. Thousands of words were said in that one simple gesture, and both of them knew how the other felt.

After a few minutes, they both pulled away from each other, cheeks flushed and mouths slightly bruised. Smiling at each other, they turned away from each other and after not knowing what to do next. They decided to finish the movie, sitting in a refreshing silence with only the sounds of the movie and the occasional drink being sipped. Dean smiled to himself and decided to himself that today couldn't possibly get any better.  _Stop being to Hallmark,_ Dean told himself. But really he didn't care for once.

After the movie finished, Dean turned the TV off and turned his head to look at Castiel. He was smiling to himself too, and looked really...happy. That made Dean feel better than he already was, if that was possible right now.

"D-Did yo-you like th-the mov-movie?" Cas nodded, "Yes. I might read the books now and then watch the other...three movies?" Dean wanted to smile at how Castiel didn't really know much about movies, shows, and pop culture things like that. Dean thought it was adorable, and that meant that they could have more moments like this.  _Awesome._

"Two-two movies. They're-re pretty g-good...bu-but th-this...o-one is m-my-my fav-favorite." Cas showed a small smile that made Dean's stomach flip.

"So-so I'll see y-you la-later?" As much as Dean didn't really want this to end, he had a pile of homework he knew that if it wasn't done, he'd be screwed. Cas seemed sad to leave, but otherwise seemed alright.

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Goodbye, Dean." Cas got up from the couch and gave Dean a small kiss on the forehead before walking out of the living room and out of the house.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that this date of whatever you wanted to call it was just about perfect in Dean's eyes.

After picking up the drinks and bowl of popcorn, Dean headed up the stairs to his room. Just seconds before he reached for the doorknob of his bedroom, he heard Mary exit her own room only two doors away. Panicking slightly, Dean leaned up against the bedroom door in the hallway as Mary walked over to him with a smile on her face and a curious glint in her eyes.

"Hi, honey. How was watching the movie with Castiel?" When she said Cas' name Dean felt his face become warmer and he mentally cursed himself.

"F-Fine." Mary tilted her head with a knowing look on her face. Dean also cursed himself because he knew how it was hard to sound reassuring when you trip on your own words every few syllables.

"Alright. Make sure you get your homework done, honey." Mary planted a kiss on Dean's forehead before letting him rush into his own room, closing the door with slightly more force than necessary.

Mary laughed in front of Dean's door quietly, hoping that he didn't hear. She thought it was cute that her son seemed so nervous and didn't seem like he wanted to tell her what happened when Castiel came over. She shook her head with a smirk on her face before going down the stairs to go start making dinner before John came home.

Dean sat on his bed, relieved that his mother didn't ask him what happened downstairs. He smiled to himself, completely happy and content for once in his life. He loved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is the first time I've ever written a kissing scene before so I hope it wasn't completely horrible.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Use of homophobic language in this chapter.

Walking to the front doors of the school with new-found confidence the next morning, Dean still felt slightly light-headed and bubbly from yesterday's events. Thankfully last night pasted without anyone asking him about what happened, not even Sam. But whenever Sam thought Dean wasn't looking, Sam gave Dean's head a shit-eating grin and laughed with no sound. Dean already loved kissing Castiel, even more than pie, which if you knew Dean Winchester, pie was the best thing in the world to him. Walking to his locker, Dean smiled to himself, excited to see Castiel today, the only thing/person that made school worth it nowadays.

"Hello, Dean." Dean jumped,  _How the hell does he do that?_ , Dean wondered,  _Maybe he's just quiet or really stealthy, like Batman_. Dean looked up at Castiel, and he felt his face grow warm and he was afraid that he would trip on his words even more now that he's nervous.

"Hey-ey, C-Cas."  _Close, but you can't even say his name right._ They smiled at each other for what seemed like eternity, and neither wanted to stop, as if memorizing each others faces and staring into either the bright green of Dean's eyes or the icy twilight blue of Cas' eyes. The bell rang, startling both of them. They each grabbed their books out of their lockers, and headed to Ms. Summers class.

They were about half of the way through the hallway to English, dodging people talking in annoyingly large groups in the middle, or people who were in a rush to get to class. Dean and Castiel stood only an inch or so apart from each other the whole way, taking in each others space and loving it. Though they'd never say that to the other.

Dean all of a sudden crashed into a fleshy wall. Stumbling a little, Dean scowled at the "wall", who turned out to be the notorious douche of the century Alastair and his group of slow bullies. Cas narrowed his eyes at the group, mildly annoyed already with the fact that they'd never leave Dean alone. Alastair sneered at the both of them, clearly thinking of something to say. The hallway was clear of people, meaning that Dean and Cas would probably be sentenced a detention.  _Shit._

"Hey, look. It's the happy new couple. When's the wedding?" Alastair and his buddies howled at his lame insult. Dean and Cas stood next to each other closely, watching silently for the other. Alastair and his buddies were both bigger and taller than Dean and Castiel. And maybe stronger. But both of the boys knew that Cas and Dean were smarter.

"Don't you have a class to go to, or at least some activity that is better than taunting Dean and I?" Cas asked. Alastair glared at him, clearly angry already that Cas decided to speak up. Alastair stomped over to put his face mere inches in front of Castiel's.

"Think you're funny, don't you? Why don't you just tell your lame jokes to your fag of a boyfriend?" Castiel frowned, "Not really, I don't really believe I have much of a sense of humor. And also, "fag" means a cigarette, and Dean is not a cigarette." Dean couldn't help but smirk at what Castiel retorted to Alastair.  _He's got guts, I like it._

Alastair growled at Castiel, before turning away and going back to his lackies and storming away from them. Castiel and Dean exchanged meaningful looks, and smiled at each other. Dean felt kinda crappy since he didn't say anything to Alastair or help Castiel, but then Dean reminded himself that Cas can take care of himself.  _He is awesome._ _  
_

"Th-That was pre-pretty awe-awesome." Dean leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to Cas' head to say how impressed he was. Cas's cheeks became redder and Dean loved it.

Returning the kiss, Castiel said, "Thank you. We should head to class. We're late." Dean didn't really care, it would be the first time he was ever late to a class, but Castiel seemed to care. So they both entered Ms. Summers' classroom, about twenty minutes late. Everyone was in their seats facing Ms. Summers discussing Shakespearean English to them. At the sound of the door opening, everyone turned in their seats to stare at Dean and Cas, standing in front of the door. Ms. Summers frowned, looking disappointed at her best students late to class.

"You're late! Do you two have passes?" No reasons to lie, so they both shook their heads, both looking like they cared, but deep down they really didn't.

"Okay. This is your only warning, next time you're late, detentions for the both of you. Do you understand?" She said sternly. Both boys nodded, exchanging mischievous looks and small smirks. Everyone turned back to listen to Ms. Summers while Dean and Castiel picked their usual spots in the corner of the room.

School went by in a blur of kisses in between classes, blurs of colors, and every so often, a homophobic slur whispered to them by either Alastair or his goons whenever Dean or Castiel passed by. But they didn't care. Dean's favorite part of the day was when he and Castiel went into the janitor's closet after lunch to find "bleach that Mr. Adler needed for a chemistry experiment". Or at least that's what they told any teachers who asked.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your bookmarks and lovely kudos! I love it all. Warnings for somewhat homophobic and agressive statements in this chapter!

"So how's Cas, honey?" Mary asked, who looked with hopeful eyes at Dean, who was trying his hardest not to explode with all the stuff he actually kinda  _did_ want to tell her. Dinner was often a mildly quiet affair, Sam usually going on and on and on about school or anything else that popped into his head. And John and Mary would occasionally interrupted with their own opinions. Dean never usually talked, not wanting for John's temper to flare.

Dean gave a sideways glance at Mary before mustering up the courage to speak. Everyone stared at Dean, waiting for him to say something. The silence all together didn't really help Dean at all, because then all you would be able to hear is him trip and fall over his own words. He preferred to talk when there was noise all around, so then if he stuttered, you wouldn't really notice.

"Um-m al-alright." Feeling his face burn, Dean looked back at his food and started to keep eating. John frowned, not really liking the short and not really helpful answer.

"That's it?", John wondered. Dean stared up at him, scowling with irritation.

"Yeah." Dean said, anger on the edge of his voice. John shrugged, looking annoyed. Both earning glares from both Mary and Sam, John shook his head and returned back to eating. Mary smiled at Dean, making sure that he wasn't upset.

"Dean, honey. There has to be something that you want to say! Like, how are you and Castiel? Do you talk to each other a lot? Do you hang out?" As much as Mary knew that asking all the questions would probably make Dean's mood and desire to say something worse, and ultimately resulting her husband be a bit of a jackass too, Mary really wanted to know. She'd admit to being a bit nosey, but isn't everyone?

"Y-Yeah." Mary gave Dean a knowing look and smirk, "Dean. I know that you and Castiel are...dating. It's fine honey." The tense mood hanging over the table disappeared at Mary's statement. Dean froze,  _Shit._ Sam couldn't help but crack up with laughter. He also knew for a really long time that Dean and his friends Castiel were together. He was fine with it, actually really happy that someone cared about Dean like he does. Someone has to put up with Dean.

John, on the other hand, didn't look happy. While Mary and Sam were smiling at Dean, who actually had a bit of a grin on his own face. He wasn't really happy about Dean dating a guy. Sure, he kinda got over Dean being bisexual and all, but the thought still irked him. Working in Bobby's garage didn't really vent off much frustration nor help him think as much as he thought it would originally.

"Who's this...Castiel?" John demanded, the laughter quieted and everyone tensed up a little. Mary, Sam, and Dean exchanged glances, not really knowing who to tell John. But Dean gathered his courage like a Winchester should and spoke, "He-e's a fr-friend of m-mine...well, boy-boyfriend rea-really. Yo-You'd l-like-"

"I don't care if I'd like him or not." John growled. Everyone was shocked, they didn't think that John would react this way.

"John, what's the matter? Aren't you happy for Dean?" Mary asked, her voiced aching with worry about what might happen in the next few minutes. When John was angry...nothing really could make it stop until he cooled down himself.

"Maybe, I'd be  _more_ happy for him if he was with someone other than the same...sec or whatever as him. Like a girl."  _What a jackass,_ Dean thought. As much as Dean usually craved praise or attention from his dad, he cared about Castiel a lot. And right now, Dean didn't give a fuck about what John thought.

"Do-Do I-I l-look like I fuck-fucking care?" Dean blurted out. Freezing, Mary and Sam's eyes widened. John threw Dean an angry glare that Dean returned.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that again. You hear me?" Dean shrugged defiantly, which only made John's rage increase. Tension leaked into the air, creating everyone's nerves to become on edge before John finally shouted, "OUT!" Dean jumped out of his chair and stormed out of the kitchen and flew the front door open and stomped out of the house. The chilly air wrapped itself around Dean, who immediately regretted not taking his leather jacket with him.

Tears blurred Dean's vision slightly, but he blinked them away quickly. A few years ago, Dean would have loved nothing more than his dad's praise and love, he would have never came out to his parents, and always pretending to be completely heterosexual when really he wasn't. He eventually realized that if he had kept that up, he would have never been happy or himself at all. He would have been afraid of what his parent's would have thought, and always live in a shadow.

The evening sky, brightly lit with stars, Dean didn't need to think about where to go to blow off some anger, and hopefully while he's gone Sam and Mary will calm John down. Walking up the street for a few minutes, Dean stopped in front of a brightly lit house that looked comforting. Like Heaven almost. Cautiously walking up the front stairs, Dean knocked on the front door, painted a lovely dark shade of red.

The door creaked open, and a short man with light brown hair with a large bag of candy in his arms and a lollipop in his mouth grinned at Dean, "Dean-o! Cas' upstairs. First door to the left." Dean nodded, "Thanks." The man looked up and down at Dean with oddly gold eyes before walking somewhere else, leaving Dean alone. Shutting the door behind him, Dean climbed up the stairs and knocked on the first door.

As Castiel opened the door, and Dean smiled up at him, most of his anger already gone. But at the same time, seeing Castiel brought back all the emotions that John had brought up during their fight not even fifteen minutes ago, as much as Dean didn't want to feel it.

"Hello, Dean. What do you need?"

In a rush of emotion, which Dean will never admit to really feeling he blurted out, "I-I n-need y-y-you, C-Cas-as."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the angst and sadness of last chapter! This is a bit fluffy though, so it's all good.

_"Hello, Dean. What do you need?"_

_In a rush of emotion, which Dean will never admit to really feeling he blurted out, "I-I n-need y-y-you, C-Ca-as."_

Castiel frowned and looked concerned before grabbing Dean's arm in a flash and pulling him into the room. It surprised Dean at first, but he was almost too tired and emotionally exhausted to really pose a reaction. So he didn't, and let himself be dragged into Cas' bedroom, lightly tapping the door frame behind him so it would glide close with a satisfying  _click._

"Dean, I don't understand. What's wrong?" Castiel wondered, tilting his head to left for emphasis. If Dean wasn't in such a shitty mood right now, he would have told Cas how adorable he thought that was: him worrying over Dean and appearing confused.

Sighing and rubbed his neck even though there was no pain or ache there, Dean choked out, "My-y dad f-f-found out th-that we're...to-togeth-er. An-And he didn't t-ta-take it too w-well." It was sort of a relief, finally getting it off his chest. Tears threatened to fall from Dean's eyes, but he titled his head up to the ceiling to make them go away.  _Don't get all chick-flick._

"Oh...I'm sorry. Do you want us to...break up or stop being...friends?" Castiel said softly, but you could tell by his tone that if the answer was "yes" it would have broken his heart.

Keeping his eyes on the ceiling still, Dean couldn't believe what he just heard, "What? N-No. My-my dad w-was ju-just being an as-asshole...an-and I-I le-left befo-fore it g-got too...h-heated, I g-guess."

Castiel nodded, "Is your father always like this?" Dean looked at Cas finally and gave him a watery smile, "So-Sort of-f. He k-kind-kinda ge-gets on m-my case a-about you kn-know-ow...stuttering,"  _How ironic that I didn't stutter when I said that, Dean thought._ "And he-he does-doesn't like the i-idea of me...da-dating a gu-guy. But...I don-don't c-care." It felt amazing to say that, and of course Dean smirked a little bit after speaking his mind.

Until now, after meeting Castiel and everything...Dean didn't think that he'd ever be...better. He used to accept the "fact" that people would never like him, or that people would never pick on him for his stutter. He believed no one but his family would love him, and he thought he wouldn't have any friends. He thought that was worthless.

He was never more wrong in his entire life.

It wasn't until he felt someone's mouth pressed against his that he finally pulled himself out of his depressing thoughts. The kiss didn't last long, it was only supposed to be a comfort, something to sink into and forget about the world...if only for a bit. It felt refreshing, like eating a mint or something after drinking a ton of alcohol or eating lots of greasy food.

Both smiling behind the kiss, they both pulled away and quietly chuckled over how slightly... _dumb_ the situation was. Really John was just being a jackass (no surprise there) and before it launched into a full-out fight, Dean left and headed to the one place that he'd find comfort.

Castiel spoke, breaking the silence between them."I'm glad that you don't care Dean. I'll be here for you. I'll try to help you."

"Why-y?"

"...Because I care. I have a cousin named Samandriel that always said I had too much heart. But I think that's a good thing as much as it's a burden."

"Sa-Samand-Samandriel? You g-guys h-have weird n-nam-names." Castiel frowned at his comment before grinning and retorting, "Maybe. Gabriel though is a relatively common name." Dean almost forgot that Cas had a brothers.  _Three, Gabriel is the one you met downstairs...I think,_ Dean thought. But he assumed that he was right.

Usually he'd retreat to Sam after one of these fights or just deal with his anger on his own, but he realized that he couldn't go to Sam (because he loved the kid to death and wouldn't burden him with that) forever and leaving yourself to be preyed upon by your own anger never usually ended up well.

Having nothing to do on a Friday night, Dean and Castiel spent it just relaxing and talking about meaningless nothings. Dean ended up getting a frantic call from his mom a few hours later, wondering where he was and if he was coming home tonight. Dean declined and said that he was staying the night at Castiel's house.

"Okay, honey. But no funny business." Mary warned. Dean groaned, "Mo-om. R-Really?" He could hear someone laughing in the background, probably Sam.

"Have fun, sweetie. I love you." she said with maternal adoration. "Love yo-you too, Mom." Dean answered before hanging up the phone.

Dean traded a pair of flannel pajama pants that Castiel let him borrow for tonight for his jeans and jumped onto the extra mattress next to Castiel's bed.

"Ar-Are you s-sure you do-don't m-mind me sta-staying the ni-night, Cas?" Dean wondered, he sincerely hoped he wasn't being a bother.

"Of course not, Dean. Good night." Cas leaned off the bed and planted a chaste kiss on Dean's forehead before shutting off the lights and going to sleep. The room was completely dark except of a thin strip of moonlight peeking out of the window. Feeling content and blissful, Dean didn't want to ever leave this moment. Ever.

"Night, Cas." Closing his eyes, Dean drifted off to sleep. He dreamed of a pair of brilliant blue eyes and the person that they belonged to.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was by far my favorite chapter to write! I hope you enjoy it! It has some fluffy Destiel and some Sabriel mixed in. Just fyi, Gabriel is 17 and Sam is 14 in this fic. Gabe graduated high school early because he's a genius like that. I had to play around with ages a bit.

_"Night, Cas." Closing his eyes, Dean drifted off to sleep. He dreamed of a pair of brilliant blue eyes and the person that they belonged to._

Light poured through the window in Castiel's bedroom the next morning, shining on Dean's face brightly and resulting in waking him up. Groaning softly so he wouldn't wake Cas up, Dean rose his head off the pillow before a pair of impossibly blue eyes filled his vision. His face mere inches from Castiel's, Dean moved his head back and was about to scowl before a smile appearing on his face surprised him instead.

"Hello, Dean. Did you rest well enough? I apologize if it didn't suffice." Castiel stated, his voice slightly rougher from sleep and sounding sweetly concerned. Dean smiled and planted a kiss on the tip of Cas' nose, not upset by his sleeping conditions in the least. Being next to Castiel, (whether or not he was on the floor and Cas was in his bed) was good enough for Dean.

"I sl-slept finnne, C-Casss. Tha-Thanks. Bu-But we-were you watch-ching me in my sle-slee-sleep?" As much as Dean thought that was a weird question to ask, he kinda wanted to know.

Castiel shrugged, "Only for a few minutes. I find that you look very peaceful and...pure when you are asleep." He smiled shyly after stating that, and looked away. Dean on the other hand was blushing almost, his face warming up. He didn't think that he looked like that when he was asleep, he assumed that his mouth would be open, drool almost pouring from it, and he would snore loudly.  _But not that._

"...Thanksss. I don-don't kn-know-ow what to say-ay to that." Dean shrugged, trying not to seem like a jackass and wanting Cas to be happy.

"That's fine, Dean. It's approximately 9:34 AM so my brother Gabriel is probably making breakfast now. Do you want to go downstairs?" Castiel asked, a small smile gracing his lips and Dean noticed how impossibly _perfect_ Cas' messed up hair looked. It stuck up some parts in the back and never fell down. Resisting the urge to run his hand through it, Dean nodded and they both stood up and headed for the kitchen.

The smell of maple syrup, bacon, and other assorted breakfast foods filled the whole first floor of the house. Walking close to one another, the two boys stumbled into the kitchen to find Gabriel singing "Hey Jude" horrifyingly off-key while he flipped over some pancakes on the stove and someone else giggling to himself that Dean's blurry, sleepy eyes couldn't process until he squinted hard enough. It wasn't until he saw a curtain of floppy brown hair and a pair of unmistakeable dimples that Dean knew who it was.

It was Sam.  _Like, Dean's younger brother Sam._

Freezing, the two brothers stared at each other, not knowing what the hell to do. Do they say "Hi." or "What the fuck are you doing here?" What would you do if you saw your brother on an average Saturday morning either with seeing your older brother with his boyfriend or with seeing your younger brother with your boyfriend's older brother?

"...Hey, Dean." Sam said, breaking the silence (well sort of, Gabriel didn't seem to notice anyone entering the room and kept singing). Castiel seem unperturbed, as if this happened almost every day and sat down across from Sam at the table.

Dean gave a shit-eating grin, he'd  _definitely_ use this moment for blackmail in the near future, "Hey-ey Sam-Sammy. What-at are y-y-you doin-ing here?" Sam rolled his eyes at Dean's nickname for him, but really deep down he liked the idea of a nickname. Even if it did sound like a chubby twelve-year old's name.

"...Um, well Gabe..." (Sam blushed as he started to speak, much to Dean's enjoyment) "invited me over for breakfast since Dad went to work early and Mom said it was alright. And well, Gabriel is a pretty cool guy...so I said yes. Hey, Cas..."

Castiel stared at Sam and nodded, a slightly crooked smile etched on his face, "Hello, Sam. It's good to see my brother and you get along." This made Sam blush even harder, making Dean cackle with unapologetic laughter. Giving Dean his ever famous bitch-face, Sam stuck his hand into a large bag of candy placed haphazardly on the table grabbing a Starburst and throwing it at Dean.

"Hey-ey! Bitch." Dean said, with fake anger in his tone. If you knew the Winchester brothers, you'd know that "bitch" and the respective answer "jerk" were terms of endearment. And always will be.

"Jerk." Sam retorted, with matching pretend annoyance in his voice. Gabriel finally turned around, finishing his song with "Naa naaa na na na, na naa na, hey Jude..." With his a's made longer for his perfect, absolutely _horrible_ singing.

"Hey, ladies! I don't want all this negative junk in my kitchen. Hey, Dean-o! I met your lovely little bro Sam! I hope you didn't mind me stealing him from you for a bit." Ruffling Sam's hair, Gabe smirked and Sam's face turned beet red. Dean couldn't stop laughing, and Castiel was smiling too. It seemed almost like Heaven, nothing to worry about and everyone in a great mood.  _It's awesome,_  Dean thought.

"Nah. It-it's al-alright. You c-can ke-ke-keep him." Dean said, shaking his head.

Gabriel snickered, "Oh, I intend to. He's a lot of fun. I like him." Only adding to his suggestive/flirtatious tone, Gabriel gives a wiggle of his eyebrows and Sam looks like he's about to explode with embarrassment. Dean bursts into laughter and Castiel turns slightly pink on behalf of Sam. For once, Dean's laughter is not forced or weak...it's loud, easy, and amazing. He wants to do it all over again. Usually if someone talked or spoke about Sam like that, Dean would have their asses kicked. But Gabriel seemed like a loyal and trustworthy guy, so he let the "If you ever hurt my little brother I swear to God I will use your bones as toothpicks," conversation

"Now come on! Let's eat! I didn't make all this food for nothing!" Gabe declared, and everyone in the room cheered. Plates and forks were pulled out and food was passed around. The conversation flowed easily, making everything even more perfect...if it couldn't be more already.

 _I can really look forward to spending time with the Novaks. Cas is perfect. Gabe is pretty cool. And it's pretty much Heaven. All I need now is pie,_ Dean thought.

"Oh, yeah. And Dean, Castiel told me that you really like pie or something. So there's some in the fridge for ya, a 'congratulations you're my brother's first boyfriend gift'." Gabriel said before piling pancakes on to his plate and pouring a startling amount of syrup on them. Castiel groaned, not really wanting to be embarrassed in front of his friends. Sam chuckled, and fought playfully with Gabe over the eggs.

_Okay, now this is Heaven._


	12. Chapter 12

After breakfast (partially interrupted by a playful brotherly argument between Castiel and Gabriel when Gabe was telling embarrassing stories about Castiel when he was a little kid). Like one time when Cas was eight how he was head over heels in love with Gabriel's friend Balthazar. It was a short and sweet infatuation, barely lasting more than a few months. Whenever Gabriel and Balthazar would hang out together at the Novak's house, Castiel would tag along. Balthazar was fond of Castiel, just in a platonic little brother way. But with his charming accent and (albeit raunchy) sense of humor, it took a while for Cas' eight year old mind to realize it would never be meant to be.

Castiel would try to defend himself during the stories, but to no avail. It's rather hard to defend yourself against something in the past that inevitably happened. All odds are against you.

But in the meantime, his three brother's Michael, Lucifer, and Gabriel would tease him constantly about it. But never in front of Balthazar; the brothers were sometimes mean to their youngest sibling, but never that mean. Secretly, they found it adorable, and couldn't wait until Castiel found someone who would love their brother inside and out. And Gabriel couldn't wait till Michael and Lucifer came home to visit from college in a few weeks to tell them all about the adorable Winchester brothers and how the oldest one was dating their awkward and brilliant little brother. He wasn't going to tell them too much about Sam though, he knew that he'd get teased just as much, if not more, than Castiel would if he did.

During Gabriel's embarrassing story-telling, Sam and Dean would laugh good-naturedly but didn't want to upset Castiel. Holding each other's hand underneath the table, Dean would squeeze Cas' hand when the moment got rather shameful. It wasn't really to comfort as much as it was to say  _"I'll still be here for you even after all this junk Gabriel is saying about you. Because I care about you, and need you more than you know."_

And that was even better than comfort, far more.

So after all the stories were over, breakfast was devoured and the four boys retreated to the living room. As much as Dean wanted all the touchy-feely stuff that was going to be leftover from last night's dispute between John and him at home to go away, he didn't want to go home just yet. And by seeing how happy Sam looked being around Gabriel and the rest of them, Dean knew Sam didn't want to leave either.

On that early but beautiful Saturday morning with nothing really important to do, sprawled and sitting on the large couches they watched movies (adding sarcastic commentary every so often), ate and drank junk foods (Gabriel's decision) while Sam ate healthier things (I want to live till I'm thirty, Dean"), and just did nothing progressive at all.

Castiel and Dean were seated on one couch leaning on one another, not caring if their brothers were going to say anything about it. And Sam and Gabriel sat next to each other on their couch, only a few inches apart. They had taken a liking to each other and didn't know what else to do, since neither really had experience in that department. Sure Gabriel was a flirty in every way, but what were you supposed to do in front of the kid's protective older brother? For several hours they did this until Dean and Sam finally decided that their parents would be worried if they were ever coming home or not.

Standing in the doorway, Dean was sad to go, wanting nothing more than to stay at the Novak's house. "Se-See ya, Ca-Casss. I-I re-reall-lly want to do th-this aga-again." They held each other, neither wanting the other to go. Sure they knew that they'd see each other on Monday, but that didn't stop them from missing each other.

"I'll miss you too, Dean. And I very much look forward to doing this again. Just maybe not with our brothers with us, I think they'd like to be alone together too." Cas said, throwing a glance to the two behind them, also in a rather awkward to say the least hug. Dean smirked, glad that Sammy was happy.

Leaning forward, Dean whispered, "I l-love you." Instantly loving the way Cas' whole face and neck burned with a fiery blush. It took a lot of confidence to say that, but Dean was sure that Cas felt the same way. He had to deal with the mess Dean was, so doesn't that mean he cares?

Cas smiled, feeling like he was on top of the whole goddamn  _world._ He had been waiting for Dean to say that, not wanting to say those three words too early. Sure they kissed, hugged, and got in trouble at school together, but that doesn't automatically mean love. It means something close to that, but not purely love.

"I love you too, Dean." Cas muttered softly, still blushing hard and not wanting to ruin the moment. Both smiling shyly at each other, they shared a brief kiss before Dean calling for Sam that they now have to go. Giving the ever famous bitch-face, Sam let go of Gabriel and gave him his best smile, dimples and all. Gabriel winked at Sam and said to Dean, "Make sure he stays like this next time I see him, Dean-o." Dean rolled his eyes before giving Sam a playful shove out the door. Waving, both pairs of brothers couldn't wait to see each other again, easily fitting into each other's company.

Walking down the street home in the dim afternoon winter sun, the Winchester brothers thought it was the best day they have ever had in a long, long time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit violent and I apologize if that makes you uncomfortable, also some homophobia too in this chapter. Please remember that I do not condone violence and do not tolerate any homophobia whatsoever.

Heading home, the two Winchester brothers walked in the mid-afternoon winter sun down the street. Kicking rocks on the sidewalk in front of them and bickering playfully, they didn't notice John walking in front of them, furious that his two sons were hanging out with those "gay Novak kids" as he liked to put it. He told Sam and Mary that he'd be at work, going in early to get some extra work from the previous day finished. But contrary to what Sam had been told earlier that morning, John didn't really go to work early, instead he drove around town trying miserably to vent his anger.

He was still pissed at Dean, thinking that he'd be a lot better off with a pretty girl instead of a pretty boy. It just irked him that Dean had a  _boyfriend_ and he knew that Sam was there too, no doubt trying to flirt with the other Novak kid. And also his youngest son being gay made John even angrier. Mary always tried to reason with him, saying that Dean and Sam couldn't help if they fell in love with someone of the same gender, and that as long as they were happy, they should be too. But it worked to no avail.

Eventually reaching their dad, Sam and Dean wondered why their dad wasn't at work like they had thought he was going to be. Small panic started to settle in the both of them, not knowing what was going to happen at all. With their dad, it was almost impossible to know what kind of mood he was in. And if he was in a bad mood, there was hell to pay.

"Hey, boys," John growled, trying to conceal his emotions with no effort.

"Hey, dad." Sam replied, forcing a small smile, "How come you're not at work?" he questioned.

"No reason, just thought I'd see my sons with their friends. So Dean, how's you and that Novak kid?" John remarked, with a hard edge in his tone.

Dean's jaw hardened, not wanting his awesome day so far go to waste, "Hissss na-name is Ca-Casti-el. And we-we're finnne."

John smiled, "Right. You know that I don't really like the idea of you being with a  _guy._ Right, Dean?"

Frowning, not really getting what was going on, Dean nodded, "Yeah."

"And you Sam, you know that I don't really like you seeing that Gabriel kid..." He commented, throwing a snide glance at Sam, who was blushing and looking confused.  _How did he know that?_

"Yeah, but aren't you and Mom supposed to be happy for us, not matter what? How does it matter?" Sam said defiantly. John laughed mockingly, thinking that Sam would always try to rebel, wanting to be his own person.

"Well, I want you both to stop seeing those two. I don't want my sons being little girls and gushing over men," John said. Both brothers were taken aback, sure they knew that their dad was homophobic, but they really didn't care. They knew long ago that John would probably never really approve of them and their choices, but they were confident and sure that they were who they wanted to be. And they were happy with that.

"So? You're just going to say that we can be with someone we like just because they're a guy?" Sam said, his voice slightly rising with anger. Dean stepped in front of Sam protectively, pissed off throughly that John was being an utter and complete douchebag.

"I'm your father and I know what's best for you. So I want you two to stop hanging out with those Novak kids and be proper men." John demanded firmly, his hands clenching into fists, trying to stand his ground and expect his sons to say otherwise.

"And wha-what iffff we don-dont?" Dean asked, not caring if John's temper was going to blow. This wasn't the first time that would've happened, and Dean was used to it. He'd blow a fuse whenever Dean took a while to say how his day was, or how he was too nervous to do school plays and the teacher told Mary and John how concerned they were for Dean's well-being.

"Then I'll make you." John threatened. He stomped over to Dean and gave him a hard shove, his fury reaching its limit because of their resistance to listen to what he said. Why couldn't they just listen to him for once and not be so damn disobedient?

Almost backing into Sam, Dean stopped himself and made his hands into fists, tired of his dad's bullshit. Sam didn't know what to do, what would their mom say when she found out? As much as Sam wanted to give John a piece of his mind, he really didn't want this fight to escalate into something they'd all regret. She'd most certainly take their side instead of John's. Unlike him, Mary was open-minded and caring, perfectly happy as long as her sons were happy.

"Fine." Dean said throwing a death stare at John, and with that, all three of the Winchesters went home. John was pleased with himself, thinking that maybe for once his sons listened to him and that they would forget the Novaks and find themselves a girl. With tension filling the air like a blanket, Dean and Sam told each other quietly that there was no way in hell that they were going to stop seeing the Novaks, whether or not their dad liked it or not.

 


	14. Chapter 14

"Hurry up Dean if you want to say something. I'm not going to be like your mom and let you take your precious time talking." John growled, losing his temper once again at his oldest son. Sitting at the table for dinner, the Winchester men glared at each other. Mary wasn't there that dinner, going out with Ellen and Jo Harvelle for a ladies' night out.

It had been a few hours after John's welcoming visit to see his sons on their way home from the Novak's house, and after getting used to the tension filled air that would only dissipate once Mary would come back home. The air in the house was almost suffocating and hostile. It was like being in small box with a feral animal in front of you.

Dean had been talking about how he was doing at school, the question being asked by Sam. Mostly talking to Sam, Dean didn't bother to look at John while he was speaking, since all three of them knew that Sam cared and was far more patient than John was. That was one of the many amazing part about Sam, he was caring and so, so patient whenever it came to Dean's speech problem.

 _Just like Cas,_ Dean thought after throwing a glare John's way and smiling at Sam apologetically before talking again, "Sssso, as I wa-was say-ying, be c-c-careful wh-when you have Ms. Sum-mmers' classss. She's sort of al-alright. Jus-Just all the ju-junk-unk that she makes y-you re-read is boring as hellll." Offering his 'advice' as he liked to call it to Sam once he finished middle school and would start high school. Dean had no doubt that Sam would do well, he was practically a genius, constantly having his nose in a book. Dean just liked to be the big brother that told his little brother all there was to being a high schooler.

Sam rolled his eyes with a small smile on his face, "Dean, I highly doubt that reading classic literature is boring. If it's well-known and many people like it, then it's probably pretty good."

"Wha-Whatever y-you say, Sammmy." Dean said, throwing him a smirk, being returned with the ever-famous bitch face that Sam seemed to create in seconds.

John sighed audibly, trying to show his sons in a rather immature way how annoyed he was. Even though in his mind he knew that his sons would listen to him and not hang out with the Novak brothers anymore, he still had some leftover anger and other bad mixed feelings.

"I'm going out," John said harshly, standing up from the table and heading for the door.

"Where?" Sam asked, brows raised. Usually their dad didn't really go out much, mostly just for a drink at a bar somewhere for a couple of hours every so often.

"Out, like I said," he replied before slamming the door shut, leaving the two brothers alone in the house. Staring at each other, wondering if the other knew what was up with their dad lately, sure he was a bit of an asshole, but this was a bit much.

Sam asked, "What's his problem?" Dean shrugged, and kept on eating, "May-maybe its be-becausse he prob-probably knowsss that we're not-t-t really going to li-lis-listen to himmm about not see-seeing Gabriel an-and C-Ca-Cas anymore," he said after a few minutes. Sam agreed, even though neither of them knew that John completely believed that they would. Both brothers pondered over the fact of celebrating a no-parents evening by inviting Gabriel and Castiel over. Sam wanted to get to know Gabriel better, already really liking him. And he knew that Dean really wanted to see Cas again too.

Sam was glad that his brother had a boyfriend, he knew that at school he was undoubtedly picked on and he was happy that Dean had someone to be happy with.

A knock on the door pulled them both out of their thoughts, and Dean went to go answer it, it was only about 7:30 at night, so who could it be?

A pair of gold eyes met Dean's when he opened the door, along with a blue pair that made his heart stop like it usually did, "Hey Dean-o! I brought my little bro Cassie for ya! Where's your brother?" Sam heard that and almost jumped from his seat to see who it was, (even though deep down he already knew).

"Gabriel, what are you doing here? How'd you know that our parents are gone?" Sam blurted out, blushing already head to toe.

"I have ways," he said slyly before brushing past Dean in the doorway to see Sam, Gabriel walked into the house and made himself comfortable, his arms were full of soda, candy, and other heart-stopping junk food.

Castiel smiled at Dean before planting a kiss on his mouth, "Sorry for my brother's rudeness, Dean. It was his idea to come over and see you both, but honestly mostly Sam. But given the fact that you'd be here too, I came too. I hope you don't mind." Dean felt himself turn slightly pink at Cas' words.

"It's al-alright, Casss," Dean stammered, not bothered in the least that they were both here. Letting Cas finally enter his home, Dean closed the door behind him and closed his eyes, thanking God that today was already become the best day ever, despite his dad ruining it for a bit.

"Okay, now that you two lovebirds are done. Let's get the party started!" Gabriel shouted, pulling out a Ipod and plugging it into Dean's speakers that he kept in the living room. Music blared through them and Dean wondered if the neighbors were going to start complaining any time soon.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for violence/abuse and homophobia in this chapter.

After a soda drinking contest (which may or not have contained a few spiked drinks for Gabriel's and Dean's pleasure), and eating handfuls of candy, the boys thought it was the time of their lives. Gabriel knew how to throw a good party, even though it was just the four of them. Music pounded through the speakers, slightly quieter after a cop showed up to their house with three noise complaints from the neighbors.

Slightly buzzed from the drinks, Dean tugged Castiel by the shirt collar and planted a sloppy kiss on his mouth. Cas bit the bottom of Dean's lip lightly, and they both ran their hands through the other's hair. Breathing in the scent of Cas: books, wool, and the spicy, dark smell of cologne, Dean didn't want this to end. He felt alive.

Gabriel turned his head around, not really wanting to watch his little brother and Dean kiss. He spotted Sam, who was standing awkwardly, sipping his drink every so often for something to do. Gabriel smirked and put on his charm, and strode over to Sam. He thought he looked adorable, his brown bangs covering his eyes like a curtain and staring at his shoes. Sam glanced up at Gabriel and quickly looked down, blushing furiously from head to toe.

Despite Sam's ever-increasing height and the fact that Gabriel would be so much more shorter compared to him in the future, Gabriel would have felt embarrassed if he actually cared. He thought Sam looked like a cute gentle giant. Putting his hand on the back of Sam's neck, Gabriel pulled him down for a kiss. At first Sam was nervous, and thought about pulling away, but he realized how  _good_ this felt and that Gabriel and him really liked each other.

If you were in that kitchen, you would have seen sparks and fireworks fly through the air.

But a slamming door ruined it all.

A growl tore itself through the room, "What. The. Hell. Is  _going on?_!" Both couples tore away quickly, lips slightly bruised. Sam and Dean suppressed a gasp or a curse. What was their dad going to do now? He seemed so oblivious to the fact that his sons were never going to stop seeing the Novaks. And now he just saw them have a make-out session.

John looked angry, more like  _boiling_ with rage. He stormed through the kitchen and stood there, face red from drinking. Mary wouldn't be back for an hour or so, and anything could happen. When John was angry, he usually became very violent and aggressive.

And that's what happened.

Sam didn't see the fist come at him, and he fell to the ground. Stinging like crazy, he pressed his hand to his cheek, which was already forming a bruise. Gabriel put his body between Sam and John and was personally surprised he didn't kill the bastard.

"If you put one more fucking hand on him, I will personally murder you..." Gabriel hissed. His undying loyalty to those he cared about was often a blessing as much as it was a burden. Often resulting in harsh words and violence.

John shook his head, "You fags. Why can't my sons just  _listen_ to me for once and do what they're told!?" Turning to face Dean, he sneered, ready to hit. And before he knew it, a fist came flying for John.

Clutching his face in pain, John cursed himself for teaching Dean how to fight and defend himself. Sam was now standing, a purple bruise creeping on his face. Gabriel pressed an ice pack wrapped in a dishcloth that he found in the freezer to his cheek. As much as Castiel hated to fight, he agreed that Dean and Sam's father was an asshole. So he let the fight continue, but kept his hands clenched into fists incase he was needed.

Dean scowled at his dad holding the right side of his face from the blow, right now he would have rather hit harder. But he knew that if he hit too hard then something even worse was about to happen. He contemplated taking his brother and friends away, so they wouldn't have to see him and John fight. This has been the only really physical fight so far between the two. Only shouting and the like before. It was always when Sam and Mary were gone. They both didn't want them to see it.

And Dean felt even shittier because Castiel and Gabriel were seeing this. His two best friends were witnessing this. Would Cas think any less of him? Would Gabriel not want to deal with Dean and Sam's family bullshit and stop seeing Sam? Dean couldn't bear seeing the kid's heart broken, let alone his own.

"May-Maybe if you were-weren't ssssuch an assssshole. Then may-may-maybe this shit wo-wouldnnn't be happ-happening-ing," Dean muttered through clenched teeth and gave John another punch, "An-And that'sss for h-hitting Sam."

As much as Dean knew that violence wasn't a good thing. And that feeling awesome after hitting someone that you've been meaning to hit for a really long time isn't too good either, he really didn't fucking care. John gave him a smoldering look and bared his teeth like an animal. Dean opened his mouth to tell Sam, Cas, and Gabriel to go...

But the next thing Dean knew, he was flat on his back and something smashed against his head. He heard the sound of a door opening and someone screaming.

Everything turned black and that was it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't panic! This isn't the end of course. I'm sorry for all this angst and anger in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though only the beginning is happy


	16. Chapter 16

When Dean came to, his head pounded and the thought of passing out from the pain fleeted through his head. He struggled to open his eyes, it felt as though some big ass heavy weight was pressed against them. After a few minutes of struggling, he finally opened them. All Dean saw was white. His vision was blurry and his eyes burned. Dean fought to remember what happened, then he did.

_There was a fight between him and John._

_Sam, Cas, and Gabriel were there._

_Something smashed against his head, then he passed out._

_Now he's in a hospital._

_Great, just fucking great,_  Dean thought bitterly. He moved his head to the left, wincing from the pain erupting from his neck. He saw Mary sleeping quietly in a plastic chair next to him. She looked tired and distressed, her long blonde hair falling in front of her face. Dean felt like shit for putting her through all this. Who knows how long he was out? He suspected a few days at most, since his hair didn't seem to grow at all. In fact, his head was covered in a clean white bandage, making Dean fear that they had to cut his hair.

He prayed to God that it didn't happen.

Turning his head to stare at the window, showing the bright night sky. The shining stars peeked through the inky blue sky and Dean wondered where Cas, Sam, and Gabriel were. He remembered Sam receiving a punch from John, and anger flooded through Dean. His hand clenched into fists before he calmed down, knowing Gabriel took care of him.

Dean hoped Castiel was alright, he didn't interfere with the fight at all. But Dean knew how much Cas hated conflict...so there was no one to blame Dean being here except John. He wondered if Sam, Cas, and Gabriel were here, feeling like crap that he put them through him being unconscious. He pictured Castiel worrying over him, and it broke his heart. His boyfriend who was so unbelievably  _brilliant_ in so many ways, was being pulled down by his pathetic, stuttering excuse of a boyfriend.

 _Why does Cas even like me?,_ Dean wondered. On the first day they met, Castiel was the new kid. And usually new kids were smothered with attention, especially really downright gorgeous ones like Cas. But no, Castiel stuck close to Dean and their relationship blossomed. Cas didn't seem bothered by Dean's stutter in the slightest. He didn't pity him or become impatient with him at all. Castiel seemed perfect in so many ways, and Dean didn't think he'd ever figure out why Cas seemed to love him.

And Gabriel came along, and stole Sam's heart with his mischievous nature and charm. And with Sam's adorable looks and intelligence, he stole Gabriel's heart. Dean thought they were good for each other, Sam deserved someone who looked after him and would love him. If it was anyone else after his little brother, Dean would have been sure that they would've been dead. But he trusted Gabriel quickly. Hell...the kid stuck up for Sam when John threw a punch his way.

Somewhere between looking out the window and thinking about his friends, Dean fell back asleep. He didn't dream about anything for once, just nothing.

Waking up a few hours later, he opened his eyes to see a pair of familiar blue ones meet his. Feeling a million times lighter and his heart soaring, Dean finally breathed for what felt like an eternity. He jumped a bit, forgetting how Cas seemed to have no sense of personal space when it came to Dean.

Cas' eyes lit up with joy, and Dean could have sworn he saw a tear lurk in the corner of his eyes. Resisting the urge to kiss the bastard right then and there, Dean smiled widely back. Castiel finally backed up a bit, and Dean saw no one else but the two of them.

And right now, that was okay.

"Hello, Dean. Are you alright? I mean, I know you're not really okay...I just mean emotionally are you okay," Cas asked, looking sweetly concerned. The soft and rough sound of Cas' voice going in and out of Dean's mind and filling it. Dean smirked and nodded, his throat basically cracking, it was so dry.

Grabbing the glass of water placed on his bedside table, Dean gulped it down hungrily. Water never tasted so good, making his throat clear and he felt better. As he was drinking, he heard Cas speak, "Your mother went to go home to take a shower. She'll be back soon, she's very nice. Gabriel and Sam are getting something to eat. Sam was worried about you. But then again, we all were. Gabriel thought about brining tons of candy to cheer you up, but Sam told him that you don't need to make yourself sick. They get along really well though."

Dean couldn't help but smile about that, Sam was always worrying about him. Even though it was really Dean that was the mother bear in their relationship. As much as people loved to pick on Dean, they knew better than the tease Sam. Because if they did there would be hell to pay.

The soft click of a door opening caught the boys' attention, and a pair of bright hazel eyes peeked over the door frame. Sam and Gabriel walked into the room, Sam grinning from ear to ear and Gabriel's arm were filled with snack foods.

"Hey, Dean-o. Sammy was worried sick about ya. Good thing my and Castiel kept him company," Gabriel said. Sam started blushing already, and Dean wished that the two would get a room. Sam moved to Dean's side and muttered, "But yeah, I was worried about you Dean. Dad's in jail, which is good. Mom's not going to bail him out. She said she's sorry that he did that. But it's not her fault."

Dean smiled sadly at his little brother, feeling shitty that he put him through this. Dean was about to tell Sam 'No chick flick moments'. He opened his mouth and nothing came out. No sound...nothing.  _  
_

He couldn't say a word.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Dean won't be like this forever. And with the use of my shitty medical knowledge I think I got the rest of this story planned out. This chapter is equal angst and some fluffy-ish parts.

_Dean smiled sadly at his little brother, feeling shitty that he put him through this. Dean was about to tell Sam 'No chick flick moments'. He opened his mouth and nothing came out. No sound...nothing._

_He couldn't say a word._

What the hell? Why couldn't he say anything? Now instead of stumbling of his words constantly, Dean couldn't say anything at all. Everyone in the room stared at him with wide eyes, Sam looked like he was on the verge of crying. Castiel seemed...blank almost, just staring and posing no reaction. Gabriel's brow furrowed and gave Dean a worried look.

"Come on, Dean. Say something...please," Sam pleaded. Dean frowned, and opened his mouth again...but to no avail. He felt his whole word crash down on him, and he didn't know what to do. It was bad enough taking forever to say something...but now he couldn't say a word. What could he possibly do know with his life? Sure, there were people out there in the world who were mute...but Dean didn't think he could deal with that.

He wouldn't be able to tell anyone anything. He could never call his brother 'Sammy' or 'Bitch' ever again. Never tell Cas how amazing he was or how much he loved him. Maybe he could learn sign language, but he didn't know if he had the patience for that. Patience was not an entirely common Winchester trait sometimes. John and sometimes Dean could be examples of that.

Gabriel stepped forward, plastering his knowing smirk on his face, "Come on, Dean-o. I know you're dying to say something out of that big mouth of your's." Dean tried not to smile at that, knowing Gabriel was just trying to lighten the mood. He didn't seem the type that could last long in a depressing enviroment. Trying to say something again...but no result. Everyone's hearts seemed to break right there, torn seeing their friend, or brother, or boyfriend not being able to speak.

Castiel frowned, and gave Dean a sad smile. Instantly feeling like crap, Dean tugged Cas' arm, making him move next to Dean. Trying his hardest to make Cas feel better, Dean grabbed him by the collar and pulled him for a kiss. He hoped that in that one motion, he conveyed how sorry he was and that he felt awful for putting them all through this.

 _I don't why you bother with me, Cas,_ Dean thought somberly.

"Ew...really Dean?" Sam whined, also trying like Gabriel, to lighten the mood. Deep down, Sam was screaming inside, his whole life he'd seen Dean struggle with his speech, and now he couldn't say anything at all. No more brotherly bickering, no more Dean teasing Sam for keeping his nose in a book or how Sam always told Dean that he ate  _way_ too much pie.

Gabriel smirked, and turned around to face Sam, "Oh please, Sammy. It's not like you and me haven't done that before." Throwing in a wink, Gabriel gave Sam a tight hug, knowing how the kid probably was torn apart inside. Feeling Sam's face heat up, Gabriel suppressed a laugh.

Pulling apart, a few tears leaked out of Sam's eyes and Gabriel's heart broke in two. Planting a chaste kiss on Sam's cheek, Gabriel whispered, "It's alright. Everything will get better. I promise." Sam looked up and nodded eventually. Gabriel grinned and gave him another quick hug before excusing himself to the bathroom a few feet away. Locking the door, Sam stood awkwardly as Castiel and Dean were now cuddling on the bed, finally stopping kissing.

Nuzzling his face into the crook of Dean's neck, Cas thought about what had happened these last few days. He expected Dean and Sam's father to be...aggressive at least. But not violent or downright homophobic. Castiel wondered that maybe if he had done something...that none of this would be happening. Maybe he could have knocked John out and called someone. He cared deeply for Dean and Sam, and hatred burned inside him for John.

He had met Mary a few hours ago, she seemed lovely. With pretty blonde hair and nice eyes, she looked so, so tired. Mary cared deeply for her sons, and she almost felt like killing John. She probably didn't know what had happened until she got the call from the hospital that Dean was there.

Castiel didn't blame her for anything, he knew that she was a good person and would have had absolutely nothing to do with this. He also wondered how someone as sweet as Mary would have been together with someone as...horrible as John. He was glad that she refused to bail him out of jail, she told Sam, Gabriel, and him that 'the bastard deserves to rot in jail'.

She also hugged Sam and sobbed for what seemed like forever and apologized over and over that she wasn't there. Sam told her that it wasn't her fault and that there was no way she could have possibly known. Mary calmed down and introduced herself to Cas and Gabriel, saying that she was glad that her sons met someone who loved them as much as she did.

 _Dean and Sam's parents are really opposites...aren't they?_ Castiel thought. He glanced up at Dean who was staring at him through his brilliant green eyes. Love and affection emitted from the both of them, and despite the circumstances...Castiel wouldn't leave this moment for the world. Soaking up the light warmth from Dean's body, Cas whispered, "I love you, Dean."

 _Come on, Dean...if you're going to try to say something now, you better do it now._ Swallowing several times, Dean breathed in and out.

Resting his forehead onto Castiel's tousled hair, Dean softly whispered, "I...love you too, Cas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Happy ending to this chapter! I have about two more chapters planned, one describing how Dean couldn't talk for a bit and how now his stutter is gone. And the other might be an epilogue or something. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

_Come on, Dean...if you're going to try to say something now, you better do it now. Swallowing several times, Dean breathed in and out._

_Resting his forehead onto Castiel's tousled hair, Dean softly whispered, "I...love you too, Cas."_

Everything seemed perfect in that moment. Running their fingers gently through each other's hair, breathing in the scent of each other, and listening to the air rise and fall from their lungs, both Dean and Castiel wouldn't trade this moment for anything. But they both knew that perfection was impossible...

But this was close enough.

They completely had forgotten that Sam was standing awkwardly in front of them, not knowing what to do. Gabriel, being in the bathroom, wouldn't be able to save Sam from being in the same room as his brother and Cas sharing a moment together.

Sam had overheard them, and when he heard Dean say something with no stutter at all...he couldn't help but shed a few tears. His whole life he'd seen Dean stumble and fall over his own words, and he knew Dean hated himself for it. He'd watch their father berate and insult Dean just because he couldn't say something right. But he knew their dad wasn't the only one that did this is to Dean. Sam wasn't stupid, he knew about Alastair and them.

Sam tried his hardest to make Dean feel better about it, but there was only so much he could do. Sam loved his brother to death, but sometimes he was stubborn. And Sam knew that Dean always put his little brother before himself, never bothering to make himself happy unless Sam was happy. When Sam told Dean that he should just practice saying words, Dean ignored it and just continued helping Sam with homework.

But now, Dean could say anything that he wanted without having to prepare himself for the mess ups that were going to happen when he did or the people who would point and laugh. He could be happy, he could be himself.

 _And in a way,_ Sam thought,  _it's all thanks to Cas._ He was always there for Dean and understood him. Hell, he put up with the jerk. Sam liked Castiel, he seemed pretty nice and smart. And Dean looked head over heels for the guy. And seeing Dean hopelessly in love might be another source of amusement for Sam.

Gabriel came out of the bathroom, and saw a few tears fall down Sam's face. Frowning and wondering what was wrong, Gabriel strode over to Sam and hooked an arm around Sam's shoulders. It was a bit awkward, Sam being a good four inches taller than Gabriel, so Gabriel had to stand on his toes.

"What's wrong, Sammy? Dean start talking?" Gabriel asked, his gold eyes shining with curiosity. Sam nodded and Gabriel smirked, "Knew it. He'd never last not being able to say something. Don't be sad, Sammy. You don't look as pretty when you're sad," he teased. Face breaking into a smile, Sam laughed a bit, glad that Gabriel was here to make things better.

The door opened, and Mary stepped in with a tall, bald man in a sterile white coat. Her long hair framed her face, slightly tear-streaked, and she wore a sweater and some jeans. She gave Sam a tight hug and Gabriel too, much to his surprise...usually parents of the guys he dated usually didn't like him.

She glanced nervously at Dean and Castiel on the bed, and the doctor seemed to just wait next to her, unmoving. Gabriel decided to step in, and whispered, "I got this." He creeped in front of the bed...the whole room now in a still quiet.

Gabriel grabbed Castiel and pulled him gently out of the bed, leaving him sleeping on the tiles. Sam snickered and Mary watched in mock horror, secretly...she was enjoying this as much as Sam. It's been a long time since she's done a good prank herself. The doctor with the name tag 'Mr. Adler' watched with some interest, not knowing really what to do or how to react.

And Gabriel curled himself next to Dean, placing himself in the same position Cas was in before: head tucked beneath Dean's chin, and arm wrapped around his middle. Dean lovingly curled closer to Gabriel, thinking sleepily that it was Castiel. But it wasn't until Gabriel said sweetly, "Good morning, Dean-o." that Dean snapped open his eyes in horror.

He almost fell out of the bed, and stopped himself an inch or so from the edge of the bed. Everyone, except Mr. Adler and Castiel, burst into laughter. Cas stirred, finally waking up and looked adorably confused that Dean wasn't there. He sat up and looked around, seeing everyone laughing and Gabriel in the hospital bed. He narrowed his eyes, a small smile on his face.

After everyone seemed to calm down, and Gabriel got out of the bed, Dean asked, "So what's up, Doc?" Mary suppressed a gasp, already knowing herself what Mr. Adler told her but not hearing her son say something without stuttering. She wanted him to speak again and again.

Mr. Adler cleared his throat, "Well, you experienced a small concussion from the impact on your head, but you should be fine. But I also looked on your medical records that you had a speech impediment. And it seems that the head injury hit your temporal lobe, the area of the brain that helps humans with speech, vision, memories, and so on. And this is rather uncommon, and you should consider yourself lucky, that now your speech impediment seems to be gone. Congratulations," he uttered in a dry tone.

To be honest, Dean didn't really care about all that medical junk, he could say something without screwing up. Mr. Adler accepted Mary's constant thanks and left the room without another word. Mary ran forward and hugged Dean tightly.

"I'm so, so, so sorry Dean. I should have been there when John hit you and Sam. I'm so sorry. I didm't bail him out, that bastard can rot in jail for all I care. No one hurts my kids," she muttered fiercely.

Dean couldn't but chuckle, the whole situation seemed funny to him for some reason. Maybe if you asked him two years ago if his stutter would be gone, he'd have a boyfriend, his  _little brother_ _has a boyfriend too,_ and that life seemed pretty cool so far, he'd think you were insane.

Dean smiled and told her, "It's okay, Mom. But can we go home now? This hospital gown is making me itchy."

Mary looked up at him and gave a grin full of love, "Yeah, honey...we can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal headcanon is that Mary is an awesome gal who loves to listen to rock music like Dean does and pull pranks. :) One more chapter after this! I'm so happy that you all are loving this story, I never expected it to get this much love. Last chapter will be posted tomorrow!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. And I'd like to say how much I really appreciated all the love and support that this story received. I loved every second of writing this story. I can't thank any of you enough for your lovely comments, kudos, and bookmarks that made me smile for hours on end. As much as I don't want this story to end, all stories must end.

_Four months later..._

"Aw...come on, Mom. Do I have to wear this tie?" Dean whined, as Mary started to straighten the black tie currently tied around Dean's shirt collar. Tonight was prom night, and Mary just about had to wrestle Dean onto the floor to get the thing on. At first Dean didn't want to go prom, but after lots of begging from Mary -complete with the puppy eyes that Sam had inherited from her- he begrudgingly agreed. Cas would be arriving any time soon, and secretly Dean couldn't wait to see what he looked like.

 _I bet he'll look great,_ Dean thought, smirking.

In the recent months since Dean's stutter disappeared, he became a lot more confident and admittedly, cocky. But he found it a million times easier now to finally be able to say what was on his mind, or tell someone anything without fearing torment. Life seemed...easier in the least. And now in the morning Dean would more than likely wake up with a dumb smile on his face, unlike years ago when that was a rare sight.

John was still in jail, and would be for several more months on the charges of two accounts consisting of assault of a minor. Everyone internally agreed that he should have gotten more, but the court was only so useful. Mary also filed for divorce and now was currently seeing someone she knew from work. Dean and Sam had yet to meet him, but they agreed that their mom seemed happy, so the brothers didn't give it too much thought. After all the shit she's been through, she deserves some element of happiness.

Mary gave him a light slap on the shoulder, "You look handsome, and the tie makes it even better. Makes you look handsome and mysterious." Dean rolled his eyes playfully at her, earning another gentle slap on the shoulder. Currently dressed in a dark green shirt and black pants, Dean had to admit he looked pretty good. The green shirt was ever so slightly tight, making his chest more noticeable and highlighting the muscles in his arms.

After a few minutes of fussing and Dean styling his hair (even though it was short enough where you couldn't do too much), he was ready to go. Pacing in anticipation, Dean was about to tear through the floorboards when he heard a knock at the front door. He rushed to go get it, almost running into Sam, who was awaiting Gabriel. Sam had told Dean that it was just to come hang out while he and Castiel were gone, but Dean didn't really believe that.

Their relationship had gotten more serious, and now that Sam was 15, he had insisted that he could take care of himself. Dean was sure he could, but that didn't make him any less protective over his little brother. He had already given Gabriel the 'If you hurt Sam, your ass is mine.' speech that he promised a long time ago. It went along well, and afterwards Dean felt like Sam had fallen for the right person.

Opening the door, Dean sucked in a breath. Cas looked...well, to put it bluntly... _freaking gorgeous._ His hair was tousled a bit more usual, creating the sex hair that Dean absolutely  _loved._ A charcoal gray waistcoat hugged his chest tightly, with a light gray dress shirt underneath, and a pair of black skinny jeans clung to his legs. The well-loved blue tie was tucked beneath the waistcoat, backwards as usual. The deep blue of his tie almost threw off Castiel's whole look, but instead it made it more... _Cas_.

His blue eyes sparkled brightly in the evening light, and Dean thought he had died and this was his angel, ready to take him away to a place of paradise forever.

And in a way, it was.

Cas smiled, and tilted his head a bit, something he always did, "Hello, Dean. You look wonderful..." His rough voice sent a shiver down Dean's spine. And Castiel noticed, smiling even wider. Feeling a warm blush crawl onto his face, Dean cursed himself, "You too...Cas." So whilst the two idiots were exchanging nervous smiles, Gabriel pushed his way through the doorway, almost knocking over both Castiel and Dean.

"Outta the way, lovebirds," Gabriel laughed. Mary rolled her eyes and said hi to Gabriel, a small grin appearing at his exuberant personality.

"Hi, Gabriel. I take it that you're here to see Sam? He should be around here somewhere..." Right at that moment a mop of brown hair and the person it was attached to zoomed through the room, face turning pink and hazel eyes shining.

Gabriel's smile grew wider, and Dean could have sworn that his cheeks blushed just a bit too, "Hey, Sammich! Ya miss me?" Sam rolled his eyes, but an embarrassed smile etched itself on his face when Gabriel called him one of the many nicknames he had for Sam. The two headed up the stairs, undoubtedly for Sam's room.

Turning around to look at Cas, Dean finally said, "So...you ready to go?" Castiel nodded and Mary pulled out a camera. Dean groaned, "Really, Mom?"

Mary nodded fiercely and Dean wrapped an arm around Cas' waist, both now beaming at the camera. After several pictures were taken, Dean called to Sam up the stairs, "Bye, bitch!"

And after a few moments of silence, a muffled "Bye, jerk!" was called back. Smirking to himself, Dean finally uttered a goodbye to Mary.

"Bye, Mom." Both boys waved to Mary and headed out the front door, closing it behind them.

Behind it, Mary grinned brightly, eyes moist with tears, because if you had asked her a year ago if her oldest son would be going to prom, she would have shook her head sadly and whispered, 'No, it's not his kind of thing. You know, he doesn't like to talk much and he's wary of others. He'll probably just stay home with Sam, those two never seem to come apart.'

And Dean would have just stayed home, like he usually did after school, and either work on the Impala or shut himself in his bedroom and read or write in his little blue notebook tucked beneath his pillow. John would have pestered him about never going to social events and never going out. It would have ended in a fight and who knows what would have happened then.

And now that would only be a sad thought in Mary's mind, and never a reality.

In a way, Castiel helped Dean, and in another way...helped them all.

They headed for the Impala, preferring to 'ride in style' as Dean put it rather than take Mary's car. Opening the passenger's door for Castiel, Dean helped Cas into the seat before their lips met. Breathing in the scent of expensive cologne, Dean pulled back before it go too heated and they'd probably never get there. Closing the car door gently, Dean headed for the driver's side and climbed in.

Settling in, they stared at each other for a while, reviling in how  _perfect_ the other looked. Wanting to run his fingers through Cas' hair and pull him close, Dean looked away and put the key in the ignition. Castiel saw how the freckles sprayed over the bridge of Dean's nose and underneath his eyes peeked through, and Castiel fought the urge to plant a kiss on every single one.

Reaching for Cas' hand, Dean put in his favorite AC/DC tape and drove, feeling like he could take on the whole damn world.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How do you eat all that candy, Gabriel? Your teeth are going to rot away," Sam remarked. Gabriel insisted that they watch Dr. Sexy, his favorite show. And after pouting for several minutes, Sam agreed, he couldn't say no to Gabriel. Well, most of the time anyway. Somehow Gabriel manged to bring a huge bag of assorted candies and was currently munching on them with enthusiasm, only giving Sam one after he had about six. Or ten.

Gabriel turned away from the TV and smirked, "Yeah, kiddo. But you're still going to love me anyways." Sam rolled his eyes, even though silently he had to agree with what Gabriel had said. Sitting up on the bed, Sam wrapped his arms around Gabriel's chest, putting his chin onto Gabriel's honey brown hair.

The height difference between the two was probably one of the best aspects, Sam never got tired of leaning down to kiss Gabriel or being able to easily hoist him up onto his shoulders. And Gabriel loved to stand on his tiptoes to be able to whisper something in Sam's ear that never failed to make him blush and stammer.

Turning off the TV, Gabriel gave Sam an evil smirk, and turned on the radio that was placed on Sam's nightstand. A sappy love song leaked through the speakers and Sam's face started to burn and he let go of Gabriel. And sat firmly on the bed, not wanting to move. Gabriel jumped off and stood in front of Sam, narrowing his eyes playfully. Sam knew what was going to happen, but decided to look stubborn and annoyed. It was the best way to get the best out of Gabriel.

The song was slow and sad, and Sam thought this was probably the biggest cliché moment ever. Not that he was really complaining.

Grabbing Sam by the arm, Gabriel pulled him up and coiled an arm around his waist. Sam looked surprised and confused, with wide eyes and mouth agape. Gabriel laughed and told him, "You look adorable like this, Sammoose." And pulling Sam's large body down, Gabriel dipped him in for a kiss.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Music pounded throughout the room, filled with teenagers in either suits or fancy dresses. The walls were decorated with fancy streamers and the like. People either danced or talked to their friends. The large room was filled, and it was hard to get through. No one paid much attention to Dean or Castiel, except for the occasional sideways glance or once-over. After Dean's stutter disappeared, he and Cas still got the rare homophobic slur but otherwise nothing else. It was just them, and no one else.

And that was okay, because each other was all they needed.

Heading to the dance floor, Dean didn't really know what to do, he had never danced before. But Cas seemed to know what he was doing, swaying his hips to the beat of the music and his arms raised above his head. Dean had to desperately resist the urge to take him right then and there. Trying to copy Castiel's moves, Dean seemed to succeed, earning a bright smile and a small wink from him.

At that moment, the song ended and 'Say Something' by A Great Big World played. Dean groaned, hearing this song a million times before on the radio and dreading every second of it. Couples grouped together and swayed to the music, either kissing or awkwardly smiling at each other. Staring dumbstruck at Castiel, Dean didn't know whether or not to ask him to dance.

But his question was answered, as he felt his body being pulled to an empty space on the floor. Castiel beamed at him, enjoying being the lead. Their bodies were pressed close together, and Dean put his hands on Cas' waist, enjoying the soft fabric of his waistcoat. Feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders, Dean felt his face heat up again.

"Since when did you know how to dance?" Dean asked, all of a sudden curious.

"When I was homeschooled, I had to find other things to preoccupy myself with. And with the many variations of dance, I decided to learn many of them," Cas replied, tilting his head to the left. Dean smirked, liking this new information about Castiel.

Leaning forward and putting his mouth near Cas' ear, Dean whispered in a deep voice, "I like it." He couldn't help but laugh a bit at the fiery blush splashed across Cas' neck. Swaying slowly to the music, Dean thought back on the first day that he met Castiel, and how he first thought that he'd just be a new student for a while and blend in the crowd. And maybe join some popular group that loved to torment Dean.

But that wasn't the case, and that would never be the case.

So while staring at Castiel's eyes, the bluest pair he had ever seen...Dean thought everything was okay.

The sad beats of the music cloaked itself around the couple, and they leaned their foreheads against each other. If you were at that dance, and you saw them...you'd think they were perfect for each other. Two halves of a soul becoming one.

And that's exactly what they were.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! You haven't seen the last of me, lovelies. I've decided to post one more epilogue, because the other one had more Destiel than Sabriel and now for this one I kinda did the opposite, for you extreme Sabriel lovers like me. I came up with a parody of "Hey There Delilah" in this called "Hey There Sam Winchester". I hope you guys like it, I made sure to make it sound as good as it can get in my opinion.

"Gabriel, where are we going?" Sam asked, sitting in Gabriel's 'newest' van that he  _really_ needed to either get repaired or just traded in. New was light way to put it: the seats were tearing apart, the windows blurry with grime and dirt, and Sam was pretty sure that when it was parked, a family of mice lived beneath it. He told that to Gabriel once, who wouldn't hear one word of it, saying that the van could hold for a little longer.

Sam had no idea what it could possibly hold at all, other than rust.

Gabriel smirked, eyes fixed to the windshield, "You'll see, Sammoose. Just wait." Giving a playful albeit rough ruffle through Sam's hair, Gabriel laughed to himself, though it sounded a bit nervous. Sam couldn't pinpoint why, maybe because it was his birthday? But Gabriel was never, ever nervous...it just wasn't in his nature.

Turning 15 wasn't a big deal to Sam, so he didn't really get why it might be to Gabriel. With a shrug of his shoulders, Sam turned his attention to the passing trees that were vivid green with the comings of summer. As much as Sam was excited for summer, he was going to miss school for a bit, he liked learning new things, even though sometimes the teachers and classmates weren't all that great.

After an hour and a half of driving, they stopped at a wide open field out in the middle of nowhere. The grass was swaying in the cool breeze, making it look like a huge green ocean. The sky was streaked with blue, pink, and purples and looked almost otherworldly.

To Sam, it was perfect.

Facing Gabriel and smiling, Sam asked, "What are we supposed to do here?" Showing his trademark smirk, Gabriel jumped out of the car and headed to the other side to open Sam's door. Extending a hand, Gabriel exclaimed, "Come along, miss. I will show you soon!" Throwing his head back and laughing, Sam refused the hand and got out of the van himself.

Shutting the car door behind him, Sam raced out to the middle of the field, and sat down on the grass, relishing the feel of it. The air smelled of spring: grass, dirt, and flowers. It felt amazing to take a breath of clean air, completely unpolluted by anything. Like brushing your teeth twenty times with lots of minty toothpaste.

A voice pulled Sam out of his trace, "Havin' fun?" Turning his head, Sam saw that Gabriel had his guitar case slung over one shoulder. Sam had recently discovered that Gabriel had a talent for music, and was really good at playing the guitar and even better at singing. This was sort of a secret talent/hobby of his, and few knew about it. There was something about his voice that Sam wanted to show the world, to show how good he was...and that he could easily make something large out of it.

And that's when Sam figured out why Gabriel brought him here, and immediately started blushing. Patting a spot next to him, Sam was about to burst with excitement, whatever Gabriel had in store for him must be good.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You probably already know what I'm doing. But don't get your hopes up, this was originally supposed to be for when me, Dean-o, and Castiel are going to be college kids in a few months. And so...when I'm gone I want you to have this."

Sam frowned, feeling his heart sink a bit, remembering know that it was going to be true. Soon his boyfriend, brother, and friend were going to be gone...about a hundred miles away. Sure they'd visit, but it still wasn't the same.

Gabriel gave a sad smile, and patted Sam's arm, "It's going to be fine, kiddo."

Sam nodded, "I know." Pressing a small kiss onto Gabriel's mouth, Sam let him pull the guitar out of the case. It was freshly tuned, and in good condition, with gleaming blue paint.

Clearing his throat, Gabriel started to sing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Curled up together on the couch, Dean and Castiel were re-watching  _The Fellowship of the Ring._ Both remembered how this was, in a way, their first date. But neither knew if they should mention it or not. Castiel having the reason that maybe Dean wouldn't recall it, and Dean having the reason that he'd sound too sappy.

But giving it a shot, Cas asked anyway, "Watching this movie was our first date, wasn't it? Unless you want to call it a friendly get-together...which in a way, it was. But not quite."

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, I remember. Then Sam walked in and was his usual self. Didn't hear the end of it for a week." That was an exaggeration, and Dean knew it...just wouldn't admit it. He was a bit worried about his little brother, but knew that Gabriel was a good guy. He is Cas' brother after all. But that didn't make older brother Dean Winchester any less protective over Sam.

"I recall being extremely nervous when I kissed you. I was afraid you'd kick me out and never speak to me again. But I was wrong," Cas inquired, blue eyes unmoving from the screen. Currently the Fellowship were searching through Moria, and not much was happening.

Pressing his lips to Castiel's forehead, Dean smiled, "Clearly." Even after several months of being together, Dean still sometimes didn't believe he could have someone as wonderful as Cas, who saw him at his worst and still loved him. But he was doing something good, or else this wouldn't be real. So while kissing Cas and tasting popcorn on his tongue, Dean thanked all the good in the world that was worth fighting for.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Hey there Sam Winchester_   
_What's it like in the Impala?_   
_I'm a hundred miles away_   
_But boy, tonight you look so handsome_   
_Yes you do_   
_That car can never shine as bright as you_   
_I swear it's true_

_Hey there Sam Winchester_   
_Don't you worry about the distance_   
_I'm right there for you today_   
_Give this song another listen_   
_Close your eyes_   
_Listen to my voice, it's my disguise_   
_Like always...I'm by your side_

_Oh, it's what you do to me_   
_Oh, it's your long floppy hair_   
_Oh, it's what you do to me_   
_Oh, and your cute little laugh..._   
_Kiddo, what you do to me_

_Hey there Sam Winchester when I first met you kid,_   
_I knew that something was different, something new_   
_And completely beautiful_   
_Kiddo, it was you..._   
_I found love inside my house_   
_And I hope so did you..._

_Hey there Sam Winchester_   
_I've got so much left to say_   
_If every simple song I'll write to you_   
_Will take your breath away_   
_I'll write it all_   
_Even more in love with me you will fall_   
_We'll have it all_

_Oh, it's what you do to me_   
_Oh, it's your long floppy hair_   
_Oh, it's what you do to me_   
_Oh, and your cute little laugh..._   
_Kiddo, what you do to me_

_A hundred miles seems kinda far_   
_But they've got planes and trains and cars_   
_I'd walk to you if I had no other way_   
_Our brothers would all make fun of us_   
_and we'll just laugh along because we know_   
_That even though they've felt this way,_   
_It's completely different for you and me_   
_Sam Winchester, I can promise you_   
_That by the time we get through_   
_The world will never ever be the same_   
_And you'll be to blame_

_Hey there Sam Winchester_   
_You be good and don't you miss me_   
_Four more years and you'll be done with high school_   
_And I'll be making history like I do_   
_You'll know it's all because of you_   
_We can do whatever we want to_   
_Hey there Sam Winchester here's to you_   
_This one's for you_

_Oh, it's what you do to me_   
_Oh, it's your long floppy hair_   
_Oh, it's what you do to me_   
_Oh, and your cute little laugh..._   
_Kiddo, what you do to me_

Tears pinpricked the backs of Sam's eyes, and he almost couldn't believe what he heard Gabriel sing was real. For Sam, it was the greatest thing he could have ever given him for his birthday...or any day for that matter. He knew Gabriel was secretive about singing, so him singing one for Sam was perfect. Gabriel looked up from his instrument, and smiled shyly...for the first time in forever. Gabriel Novak was never shy...and this kid rendered him nothing more.

In one fell swoop, Sam pulled Gabriel by the shirt collar and kissed him deeply. Breathing in the scent of candy, aftershave, and a faint hint of cigarette smoke, Sam didn't want this to end. This day would go as the one he would never forget.

Pulling away for a breath, Gabriel asked, "So...did you like it? I was afraid you didn't...I mean, I took a song, changed some of the words it, and put your name instead of 'Delilah'. Not completely orignal."

Sam smiled and laughed, shaking his head, "Of course I liked it. I  _loved it._ Sure I'm going to miss you, but now with this I'll have something to look forward to. Thank you...I love you."

A faint blush appeared on Gabriel's face, and he put on a dopey grin, "D'aww...I love ya too, kiddo. Remember that."

Standing up and brushing the dirt and grass on their pants, the couple put the guitar back into the van and walked through the field, holding hands. They pointed at the stars peeking through the now dark blue sky, savoring each other's company. Both thought it was the greatest time of their lives, and promised to never stop loving each other, and to never break apart.

And that promise was kept.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back?
> 
> Thank you all so, so, so much for your support and when I was writing this story long ago. I can't express how much it all means to me and that it's helped me through so much. You guys, gals, and others are the best out there. And I love and adore you all. This chapter is dedicated to you. The reader. Once more, I'd like to say I do not own Supernatural, these brilliant characters and the songs that'll appear throughout.

_Thirteen Years Later..._

If you had asked Dean Winchester, years ago, if he'd be standing at an altar in an ancient yet beautiful church someday, fretting over his clothes like a teenage girl: depending on who you are, he'd have laughed in your face or scowled with all his might.

But that was no longer true. Not anymore.

 _The hell am I so nervous for? I've known him forever, this shouldn't be so damn hard!_ He reminded himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sam smirking about something and Gabriel too, though small flashes of uneasiness crept over the shorter man's face, due to the fact he had complained earlier about his vest and under-shirt being too itchy.

"What are you two smirking for? Knock it off," Dean ordered sharply. He really wasn't in the mood for this, he just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Sweat formed in his palms and he could have sworn someone turned the heat up. Fierce green eyes with flecks of gold inside, roamed over the large crowd in front of him, chatting amongst themselves or nodding at whatever they saw. Cream-colored ribbons draped themselves across the pews of the church, with bundles of fresh, light-colored flowers holding them in place.

The church itself was brilliant, smooth white walls curving upwards into a peak. Stained glass windows depicting Jesus and other religious characters stood, standing proudly every several feet, the bright violets, yellows, greens, and browns shining. They were beautiful and noble-looking, as they should.

A large organ, cleaned and gleaming, was tucked in the far left corner, but was not used. Instead, some speakers and other things were placed in the opposite corner, with Kevin Tran, a good college friend of Sam's, had them running and playing one of Cas' favorite songs:  _Iron Doors_ by The Lighthouse and the Whaler. It wasn't Dean's kind of music, but he couldn't say no.

The song drifted through the black speakers, and was surprisingly calming, the beginning notes sounding reminiscent to Dean's choice of music:

...

_I know you see me as-I am,_

_This time I don't know where to be-gin..._

_This is the moment I was look-king for,_

Drawing his eyes to his mother and Bobby, a family friend who had a bigger part in the Winchester sons' life than they'd ever know, were sitting in the front bench, looking happier than ever. Hell, Mary was already starting to tear up and the thing hasn't even  _started_  yet. Parting a glance at the blonde woman, Bobby rolled his eyes and smiled, before turning to his wife Ellen and smiling once more, a little bigger this time.

John was no longer in the picture, fleeing after his jail time years ago and living with a new wife and son named Adam. As much as Dean somewhat missed him...he knew it was for the best.

After so many months of planning and preparing: writing vows, finding venues, eating cake samples (though Dean would always prefer pie), and still this reduced the normally tough, stubborn man to a shaky mess.

_Oh, you can find me,_

_Just the way...you did when this began-an an an._

"Dude, you're going to be fine. It's not the first time you're meeting him, you know." Sam muttered, looking cool and collected, something relatively common. Over the years, Sam's hair had gotten longer and more...flowy. Dean more than not, told him he wanted to cut it, but that was out of the question. It used to be above his ears in a cute, floppy fashion, now it was down to his shoulders. Gabriel often braided it, with or without permission.

Taking a deep breath, Dean let himself be comforted, "Yeah...I know, Sam."

Just at that moment, Garth, a college friend of Castiel and Dean, and one of the most outrageously kind and optimistic people known, sprinted pass the pews, but thankfully not down the aisle, taking his place next to Gabriel. He actually looked pretty attractive in the light gray vest, pairing undershirt, midnight-black belt, and dress pants that made up the groomsmen's outfits. Dean's outfit, the groom, was a darker and fancier version of this, with a white rose accompanying the left, front side.

"Sorry, you guys. Just had to help Cas. He'll be here any minute, Dean!" Garth smiled, and in a flash, was hugging the groom and patting his back. A tiny smile graced Dean's lips and let himself be crushed. Then, the tall, kind man moved to Sam, and then Gabriel, surprising the both. Gabriel didn't know Garth that well, but let it slide. A few people in the crowd noticed and grinned fondly. Both sides of Dean's family came over, and so did Castiel's, making for large crowd.

Moving back to his position, Garth gave one more smile before coughing into his elbow.

And just like that, the familiar tune of an instrumental cover of  _A Thousand Years_ played. Signaling one man's arrival.

Everyone sucked in a breath, those who desperately wanted to see. Dean felt like he was slapped, his cheeks burning and betrayed his usual demeanor. Sam smiled along with Gabriel, dimples showing fully. If Garth could smile anymore, he was right now. The crowd in front of the men hushed, even Michael and Lucifer, Castiel and Gabriel's older brothers, who were always up to something or fighting.

People in their seats rose and turned their heads to face the aisle as the three bridesmaids: Charlie, Jo, and Meg. All college friends, except for Jo, who Sam and Dean had known for a long time. Ellen's daughter, she held the same strong, stubborn attitude as her mother. They were so alike they often butted heads.

Each woman headed down the aisle, smiling and looking beautiful. Each dress complimented their personality: Charlie's dress strapless and short, showing long legs and her red hair done so it was starkly contrasting against her red dress. She headed to her place a bit away from Dean and him a thumbs up, her other hand holding a bundle of white roses, and white and blue baby's breath flowers.

Jo was next, her feet moving just in time with the rhythm of the song, the chords/notes bouncing beautifully throughout the church. Jo's dress was sleeveless, showing her tanned, strong arms from work and the sun. While she'd tell you weddings and that kinda junk wasn't her thing, deep down she told herself that she looked beautiful, and everyone knew it. And, in secret, she loved the flowers. Taking her place next to Charlie, they smiled at each other and gave a meek kiss on the lips. Today was their first year anniversary of dating.

And last but not least, Meg arrived. Her dress, with thin straps, hugged her body's curves and stopped below her knees. Looking captivating, she knew some eyes lingered on her, but she kept an eye on her girlfriend, Ruby, who was sitting next to her brother, Crowley: a cunning man clothed in all black that could get you into any deal, no matter how good or bad. Burgundy lipstick complimented her heart-shaped face and she winked at Ruby and smirked at her brother. She took her place next to Jo.

With the bridesmaids here, all that was left was for Castiel to arrive. Dean was more nervous than he had ever been in his whole life. And he had no clue as to why. The song from before kept playing, and the groom tried his best to focus on the notes, the sounds keeping him on Earth.

And finally, Cas arrived.

Looking at the love of his life and his only one, Dean drew a breath. Castiel looked breathtaking: a tan waistcoat and pants hugging his frame and looking so right Dean couldn't bear it. Castiel had picked it out because of the color looking like his beloved trench coat, that he still wore. The thing was still big enough. A crisp white shirt underneath defined his broad shoulders and looking fresh and bright against his tan, warm skin. Just like Dean, a white rose clung to the left side of his waistcoat, Cas didn't want to hold a bouquet, after a lot of teasing from Gabriel.

A blue tie, the same navy blue tie from all those years ago, still hung around his collar. Worn to hell and frayed, Cas couldn't bear to throw it away. It held too much sentiment, he said. Whether it was backwards, Dean did not know.

Welcoming a cooling sense of relief, Dean grinned happily. The man he had loved for so long, he could finally call "husband", "official life partner", and all of those cheesy things. The eldest Winchester son thought he was falling in love all over again, seeing the blue-eyed man who stole his heart and kept it warm and safe. Castiel beamed when he saw him, and Chuck, his father who was bringing him down the aisle, smiled truly for the first time in years.

With one final step, Cas was in front of Dean, as he should be. Guests sat in their seats, proudly grinning at the couple before them, along with Kevin, who changed the speakers' song to  _Can't Help Falling in Love_ by Fleet Foxes, lowered the volume, and added some more instrumental music to play afterward. And the soon to be husbands smiled at each other, and Dean felt the tips of his ears burn at the couple of camera flashes that appeared.

"Hello, Dean." Cas breathed, a light blush standing out against the dark stubble lining his jaw.

Dean took a deep breath, needing to calm himself, "Hey, Cas." The pair joined hands, fingers tangling together, fitting like pieces of a puzzle.

Chuck, being the Justice of the Peace, stood himself in front of the altar, and cleared his throat. Usually a nervous man with an odd attempt at facial hair, he looked strong and authoritative. For once, his voice did not quake or fall apart. It stayed solid.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we have gathered here together to celebrate the marriage of Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester. Marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust each other, who honor one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend rest of their lives with each other. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all uncertainties in life.

Both gentlemen have decided to give their own personal vows to each other. And after that, we will present the rings." Looking at Dean, Chuck nodded and stepped back a bit. Although Dean couldn't feel it, he could sense Sam, Gabriel, and Garth's smiles directed at him and Castiel. And looking forward, past his lover, he saw Charlie, Jo, and Meg smiling also.

He felt his heart hammer in his chest, and his stomach was flipping a million times.  _Come on, you can do this. You're Batman. Remember that,_ he told himself. And before he knew it, he cleared his throat and started to speak:

"I'm not too good at this kinda stuff, Cas. And you know that. But what I do know...is that I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. When I first met you, I thought you were just going to leave me alone. Like everyone did. But you didn't...you stayed by my side and helped me through things I didn't think were possible.

When I wanted to drop outta highschool and...then college, you told me "no" and that I was too good for it. And now, I thank you for that. Because without that, I wouldn't be where I am...and I wouldn't have met all these people that I know and love. So...I want to spend the rest of my days with you, Cas, because I need you. You're my best friend, I want to grow old and grumpy with you. I love you more than anything, Cas."

Hot tears pricked at the back of his eyes, and Dean blinked them away. That was the last thing he wanted to do right now. But every word he said was true, and he'd never regret saying any of it.

A few sniffles were echoing through the church, and looking up from their tangled hands, Dean saw blue eyes grow damp. And he grinned, feeling loved and happier than ever. Chuck smiled, wet tears dripping down his face, a bit of a softie he is. He then looked at Cas and nodded.

"Dean, I've grown accustomed to your quirks, your habits, your flaws, and your strong suits. And I...I love all of them. When I first saw you, that faithful day, in Ms. Summers' class, I knew you were the one I wanted to spend my days with. Through your shyness, I saw a bright soul. I saw someone that wanted to do good in this world, and someone who loved people so easily and so hard. And I adored it.

You welcomed me into your family, and I met wonderful people. You're the first person I've ever fallen in love with, Dean. And I want you to be the last. I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my days with you, to see our hair grow gray and lines cover your face and mine. And in the days where I will remember nothing, I will remember you and only you. Because you're the one worth remembering."

And that's when Dean lost it. Some hot, wet tears streaked his face. In that moment, he fully knew that Cas loved him. And Dean loved him so much more, that he felt his heart would burst. Maybe this wasn't Dean Winchester, maybe it was a more...emotional Dean Winchester. But in this moment, it felt so right that it must be him.

Now even more sniffles and one or two sobs filled the church. From what he could see, all the bridesmaids were crying, except for Meg, who looked calm and cool as always. Dean's family and friends' side of the church was half crying and half smiling widely. He couldn't bear, though, seeing Sam or Cas' family and friends.

Stepping forward back in to his proper place, Chuck cleared his throat and tried to look composed. And eventually he did, "Now we will exchange the rings and complete this marriage." And digging through his pocket, he pulled out two golden wedding rings, both fitted to either Dean's or Castiel's ring finger.

Facing Dean, Chuck cleared his throat, "Do you take Castiel Novak to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

The words poured from Dean's mouth, "I do." Another smile broke across his face, and Cas made a pleased sound the back of his throat, grinning also.

Turning to Cas, Chuck smiled, "Do you take Dean Winchester to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Castiel nodded, sapphire eyes sparkling like a thousand stars, "I do." And within a few seconds, the ring was firmly around their finger, feeling fresh and proper.

Gazing at the crowd, Chuck beamed, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mr. Winchester-Novak!" The crowd clapped fiercely and cheered. With that, the newest husbands held each other in a warm, close embrace and pressed their mouths long and passionately. Love and affection blossomed between the two souls, and new feelings that weren't discovered before came anew. The love over the thirteen years of knowing each other came again, brighter and stronger than ever. And the two were ready for the life ahead.

Pulling apart, they rested foreheads against one another, not bothering to hear to noise around them. Sure, they knew they had to get going and leave, but they wanted to just say something practiced and old.

"I love you, Cas." Dean breathed.

"I love you too, Dean."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After all the commotion of the party starting up, Dean and Castiel were finally ready for their last dance of the night. Taking place outside of the church, in a breathtaking park a few hundred feet away, the spring breeze danced its' way around the couple. Receiving a hefty pile of gifts, they couldn't wait to open them up when they finally got home.

People surrounded the couple, watching intently and with care. Sam and Gabriel were busy smearing cake at each other, but eventually paid attention to the two standing on the dance floor, holding each other with all the love and adoration in the world. The song of choice was  _I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)_ by Sleeping at Last. This both combined Dean's love of the original song and Cas' love of the slow, sad tune it held in this cover.

Starting to sway and move to the music, the couple gazed in each other's eyes, green holding blue, and foreheads pressed together, interlocking thoughts.

_When I wake up, well, I know I'm gonna be,_   
_I'm gonna be the man who wakes up-next to you_   
_And when I go out, yeah, I know I'm gonna be,_   
_I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you_

_And when I come home, yeah, I know I'm gonna be,_   
_I'm gonna be the man who's coming home to-you_   
_And when I'm dreaming, well, I know I'm gonna dream,_   
_I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you_

_But I would walk 500 miles_   
_And I would walk 500 more,_   
_Just to be-e the man who walked a 1000 miles,_   
_To fall down at your door_

_When I'm working, yeah, I know I'm gonna be,_   
_I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for-you_   
_And when the money comes in for the work I do,_   
_I'll pass along every cent of-it to you_

_And when I'm lonely, well, I know I'm gonna be_   
_I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without-you_   
_And if I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be,_   
_I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you_

_But I would walk 500 miles_   
_And I would walk 500 more,_   
_Just to be the man who walked a 1000 miles,_   
_To fall down at your door,_

_But I would walk 500 miles_   
_And I would walk 500 more,_   
_Just to be the man who walked a 1000 miles,_   
_To fall down at your door_

_When I wake up, well, I hope I'm gonna be_   
_I'm gonna be the man who's waking up to you_   
_And when I'm dreaming, well, I know I'm gonna dream_   
_I'm gonna dream about the time I had with you_

Once the last chords of the song struck, the pair kissed beneath the stars. Souls once more coming together and making one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean's outfit: http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/552861837/The-High-grade-Gray-Five-Deducted-Men-s-Vest.jpg
> 
> Cas' outfit: http://evlilik.erospirlanta.com/wp-content/uploads/kapak4.jpg
> 
> The bouquet: http://mediafiles.canadianbride.com/Real-Weddings/Radcliffe/flowers-radcliffe.jpg


End file.
